STEM Baking Kit

New York Style Bagels Kids Baking Kit

Difficulty: 2
Ages / Grade
3–12 / 8–18
Skill Level
Beginner
Prep Time
45 min
Bake Time
20 - 25 min
From-scratch bagels, real fermentation science. The New York Bagels Baking Kit brings together pre-measured ingredients, real kitchen tools, and expert guidance to help students boil and bake authentic, chewy bagels from scratch. Along the way, students witness fermentation in real time - a living, breathing science lesson happening right in their mixing bowl.
✓ A hands-on lesson in food chemistry & structural engineering
✓ ESA / Homeschool Scholarship Eligible

$42.75 USD

A hands-on STEM learning project for grades 3–12 (ages 8–18)

From-scratch bagels, real fermentation science. The New York Bagels Baking Kit brings together pre-measured ingredients, real kitchen tools, and expert guidance to help students boil and bake authentic, chewy bagels from scratch. Along the way, students witness fermentation in real time - a living, breathing science lesson happening right in their mixing bowl.

Because a recipe is essentially a set of chemical formulas and engineering blueprints, this kit doubles as a full STEM project:

  • Science – chemical reactions in baking
  • Technology – use of kitchen tools and appliances
  • Engineering – building and designing edible 3D structures
  • Math – measuring ingredients and working with fractions

What Students Learn

  • Fermentation science — how living yeast converts sugar into carbon dioxide gas and ethanol. The trapped gas creates bubbles that expand and leaven the dough, while the alcohol and acids produced along the way shape the bread's flavor and texture. An included insert explains this key scientific concept in more depth.

What's Included

  1. Keepsake recipe card — step-by-step instructions, illustrations, a featured ingredient with a description of its role in baking, and a professional baking tip
  2. QR code — links to additional pro tips/techniques and a full video tutorial guiding students through every step
  3. Kitchen tools — relevant to the specific bake
  4. Pre-measured, non-perishable ingredients

Built for Every Skill Level

The video tutorial helps younger or more novice bakers move through the recipe at their own pace, while older students can work independently and reference the video only as needed. No baking experience is required — difficulty flexes across the age range, making it a practical fit for multi-age and multi-grade households.

Kit includes:
  • Recipe card with easy to follow step by step instructions
  • Parchment paper
  • Chopsticks
  • Kitchen towel
QR Code:
  • Instructional videos
  • Shopping lists
  • Tips, tricks, and much more…
Pre-measured Ingredients:
  • Active dry yeast
  • Granulated sugar
  • Bread flour
  • Salt
  • Barley malt syrup
  • Poppy seeds
  • Sesame seeds
  • Flaked sea salt
  • Everything bagel seasoning

The Science Behind This Bake

What They'll Actually Learn

S
Science

Yeast fermentation

Living yeast converts sugar into carbon dioxide and ethanol, leavening the dough and building flavor.

T
Technology

Boiling & baking tools

Using a pot of boiling water and the oven in sequence, the two-step process behind a true NY bagel.

E
Engineering

Boil-then-bake crust

Boiling the shaped dough gelatinizes the outer starch before baking, engineering that signature chewy crust.

M
Math

Ratios & fractions

Measuring flour, water, and yeast in exact ratios, then dividing the dough into 8 even bagels.

What's in the Box

Every Material Has a Job

Flour
Pre-portioned almond flour & pastry dry mix
Math
Exact ratios pre-measured so kids can focus on technique, then recalculate to scale.
Thermometer
Oven-safe thermometer
Technology
Tracks real internal oven heat versus the dial setting.
Tart pan
Tart pan with removable base
Engineering
A structural test rig for the blind-baked shell.
Pie weights
Pie weights
Engineering
Applies even pressure to keep the shell from collapsing while it sets.
Filling kit
Raspberry filling kit (fruit, pectin, sugar)
Science
Pectin gelation in action — the reaction that turns fruit and sugar into a set filling.
Insert card
Recipe + Science Insert card
All Four
Step-by-step instructions paired with grade-aligned concept explainers.

Fun Kit vs. STEM Kit

Same Bake, Deeper Lesson

What you get Crumble Crate Other Fun Kit
Recipe card
Pre-portioned ingredients
Measuring tools X
Science Insert card X
Grade-aligned learning objectives X
Educator / homeschool guide X
ESA / scholarship eligible X

From Parents & Educators

Trusted for Screen-Free Learning

"My daughter didn't just bake a tart — she explained to me why the crust held its shape. That's the kind of retention worksheets never gave us."

Ren, homeschool parent

"I use this as a hands-on unit for food chemistry. Every kid remembers gluten formation after they feel the dough change."

Mr. Alvarez, 6th grade teacher

"Screen-free and she asked to do the math herself when we doubled the recipe. Sold."

Priya, parent

Questions worth asking

Ask these about us, or about anyone you're comparing us to. We're confident in our answers.

Designed for grades 3–8. The core recipe works for younger bakers with adult help; the Science Insert content is written at a 3rd–8th grade reading level.

Yes — this kit uses an oven and a stovetop for boiling the bagels in hot water. We recommend adult supervision throughout, with kids leading the measuring, mixing, and science observations.

Yes. This kit qualifies as an educational material under most state ESA and microgrant programs — a receipt and standards-aligned description are included at checkout.

Same recipe and ingredients as our classic kit, plus a Science Insert card, grade-aligned learning objectives, an educator/homeschool guide, and STEM-specific tools like the oven thermometer.

The science in each kit

Not "learning through baking." Actual biology and chemistry.

A few examples of what a student works through, and the grade band it's built for.