There’s a sliver of light peeking through the clouds today. With rain forecast for the next week or so, sun sightings will be rare. This mouthwatering lesson teaches how you can bake the sun to share with your class!
Sun Bread, by Bay Area author Elisa Kleven, is a wonderful tale about a baker (played by a dog) who decides to bake a sun shaped bread in order to rescue the town from the winter doldrums. Told in delightful rhyming verse and complemented with whimsical illustration, Sun Bread is a delicious tale for any grade level.
A baker missed the sun so much, She took some flower from her hutch. Some butter, sugar, eggs, and yeast; She said, “I’ll bake a sunny feast.”
Sun Bread is one of the featured texts in a set of “Common Core Cooking” lesson I developed as part of a project funded by the Whole Kids Foundation. In this lesson, students explore the cultural and historical significance of bread. They taste a traditional challah and then shape a sweet bread dough in the form of the sun. They then read about Rosh Hashanah, discuss the meaning of the holiday, and write a list of various holiday customs.
To schedule an author visit, contact Elisa Kleven at elisakleven.com. 
The first time I tried to make sun bread, I was a little daunted by how wet the dough was. After experimenting a few times, I figured out what tools are useful. Because it requires some time to mix, knead, rise, and rest, I recommend making the dough ahead of time. Following a recipe is an important skill for cooking, but knowing how to adapt technique is even more important. I like the tips used in this blog post from Harmonious Homestead.
Not only is sun bread tasty, but it is incredibly fun to make. Students will have a great time shaping the rays of the sun and will be immediately warmed by the experience.
For more information or food literacy lessons, please visit Common Core Cooking.
Gleaning the Field 
Ah! I expected Sun Bread to be baked in a solar oven!
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