In a vast white bowl that resembled a snow-covered valley, it was quiet and dim. All around lay only fine, loose flour. Deep within it, curled up into tiny balls, slept millions of tiny creatures. They were the yeast, tiny as specks of dust, and they dreamt their floury dreams.
One of them, whose name was Sparky, stirred. He felt weak and sleepy. "Oh, this is so boring," he mumbled under his moustache, which he didn't actually have. "Always just sleeping and waiting. But what are we actually waiting for?"
Just then, a shadow appeared over the valley, and a gentle "splash!" was heard. A warm, pleasant rain sprinkled the entire bowl. It wasn't ordinary water. It was just as warm as when you warm your hands in the summer sun. Sparky woke up and drank with delight.
"Wow, do you feel that?" a voice said next to him. It was his friend Bubbles, always full of energy. "Something is happening! I suddenly feel so much more alive!"
And indeed. All the yeast began to wake up, stretching their invisible limbs and looking around curiously. But they were still missing something. They were awake, but they had no strength.
Then, a sweet snow began to fall. Tiny, shiny crystals of sugar were falling from the sky. One of them landed right in front of Sparky. He approached it curiously and tasted it. "Yum! This is delicious! This is strength!"
Bubbles didn't wait and immediately snatched a few crystals for herself. "You're right! I can feel the energy flowing into my tummy!" And as she said it, she suddenly managed to do something strange. She blew a small, transparent bubble. The bubble trembled and burst with a quiet "pop."
Sparky laughed. "What was that?"
"I don't know!" Bubbles giggled. "I ate some sugar, drank some warm water, and suddenly... pop!" She tried it again. She ate another piece of sugar and... "Pop!" Another bubble was born.
Soon, the other yeast noticed too. The entire floury valley came to life. Everyone began to eat the sweet crystals, and the sound of cheerful popping could be heard all around. It was a concert of thousands of tiny bubbles.
"Wait!" Sparky suddenly called out. "Look up!"
Above them stretched a heavy and sticky quilt. It was woven from flour and water and was called gluten. It was very flexible, but also quite heavy. Every little bubble the yeast blew bumped into this quilt. But it didn't pop. Instead, it lifted the quilt just a tiny bit.
"Everyone, what do you think will happen if we all blow bubbles at the same time?" Sparky asked the others.
"Let's try it!" suggested Bubbles. "All together! On three! One... two... three!"
And at that moment, millions of yeast ate their piece of sugar and together they blew a huge wave of bubbles. "Whoooosh!"
The heavy, sticky quilt trembled. And then, slowly but surely, it began to rise.
"It's working!" the yeast shouted with joy. "We're lifting it!"
The dough they lived in began to swell. It grew and grew. Before, it was flat and sad, but now it was becoming a soft and fluffy dome. The yeast didn't stop working. They ate sugar, drank warm water, and diligently created gas bubbles that were turning the dough into a light cloud.
Sparky and Bubbles took a short break and climbed onto one of the large bubbles for a better view. From this height, they could see the edge of the dough almost touching the top of the bowl.
"Look, Bubbles," Sparky pointed, "we started down there. And now we're all the way up here! Together, we managed to lift this entire dough."
"We're like little builders," Bubbles rejoiced. "We're building a tall tower out of dough, full of secret passages and chambers. And each chamber is actually one of our bubbles!"
They continued their work until the dough was twice as big as it was at the beginning. They were tired but very happy. They had done their job well.
Suddenly, a huge hand appeared over the bowl again. It gently picked up the dough and placed it on a wooden board. For the yeast, it was a ride like a water slide! The hand gently pressed them down to spread the bubbles out evenly, and then shaped the dough into small, round buns.
"Now what?" Bubbles asked, a little worried.
"Now we'll rest for a little while, and then comes the best part," Sparky said wisely.
The buns were covered with a clean cloth and left in a warm place. The yeast still had enough strength and sugar, so they worked a little more. The buns puffed up beautifully again and were ready for the grand finale.
The hand carefully placed them in a place that was very, very warm and glowed with a golden light. It was a preheated oven.
"Ooh, it's warm in here!" exclaimed Bubbles.
"That's good," explained Sparky. "In this heat, our work will become permanent. All the bubbles we've created will stay in the dough forever. And thanks to them, the pastry will be soft and tasty."
And he was right. In the heat of the oven, the dough transformed into beautiful, fragrant, and golden-brown pastry. The work of the yeast was complete. From tiny, sleeping specks, they had become heroes who turned a heavy mixture of flour and water into a delicious treat.
When Mom took the baking sheet out of the oven, a wonderful aroma spread throughout the whole kitchen. Little Annie ran over and stared at the fluffy rolls with wide eyes.
"Mom, how did they get so puffy and soft?" she asked.
Her mother smiled. "You see, millions of tiny helpers were working inside. They're called yeast. And they are the ones who baked these amazing bubbles for us."
Annie broke off a piece of the warm roll. It was as soft and light as a cloud. "Thank you, little yeast," she whispered.
And deep inside, even though they could no longer be seen, Sparky and Bubbles were smiling. They had fulfilled their purpose.
You can try this at home too, kids. With the help of your parents, prepare some yeast dough. Cover it carefully and place it in a warm place. And then watch. You might not see Sparky or Bubbles, but you will definitely see their amazing work as the dough begins to rise.