The Loaf

Right, lets start at the beginning. This recipe is for the basic loaf; an 'everyday' type of bread perfect for sandwiches or toasting, and a great place to start learning about bread baking.

 

There are 5 stages to making bread: knead, prove, shape, prove, and bake. Each of the proving stages can be lengthened by putting the dough in the fridge, or speeded up by adding warm water and leaving in a warm place, so once you get into the habit of making bread its easy to fit it in around your schedule. I often leave the dough to prove in the fridge overnight, shape it before I go to work, leave in the fridge all day, and then bake it when I get home.

 

The wonderful (and sometimes frustrating) thing about bread baking is that no two loaves will ever come out the same – as they rightly should – if you wanted identical looking loaves you may as well go to a supermarket. So enjoy making your own bread at home and celebrate it's uniqueness!

 

Things I have learnt about baking bread:

This list is enormous so I have divided it in to the different stages to make it easier to follow.

 

Mixing and kneading the dough:

• Keep the salt and yeast on separate sides of the bowl until you have mixed them into the flour as salt can kill the yeast if they come into direct contact.
• Don't forget to put in the salt or try to make it healthier by not putting it in at all. It will taste disgusting and be almost inedible without it!
• The water doesn't need to be warm unless you are in a hurry and need it to rise more quickly.
• The water will be absorbed at different speeds and quantities depending on the type of flour used. For example wholemeal flour takes longer to absorb the water than white.
• If the dough is very stiff and difficult to knead your mix might be a little dry. You can incorporate more water into the dough as you knead it, until you get a soft and slightly sticky dough.
• If the dough is sticking to your hands, resist the urge to add more flour. Keep kneading to see if the dough will absorb the excess water and become smooth. If it doesn't you can add a little flour.
• The dough is ready when it forms a smooth shiny ball, or if it can be stretched without tearing.
• Knead the dough by pushing it away from you with the heel of your hand. The aim is to roll it across the work surface, keeping the dough together, rather than pushing it so hard that it tears or pulls apart.

Dough before kneading

Dough after kneading

Proving the dough:

• Put the dough back in the same bowl that you mixed the dough in – there's no need to clean it out or grease with oil.
• If your hands are covered with dough after kneading, rub some extra flour into your hands and the scraps of dough will come off quite easily.
• The time it takes for your dough to rise will depend on the room temperature, the freshness of the yeast and the water content of the dough. At normal room temperature it should take 2-3 hours.
• If you leave the dough to prove for too long it will begin to collapse in on itself, and once it reaches this stage it will be difficult to shape so try to catch it before it becomes over-proved.

Shaping the dough:

• In order to help the dough hold it's shape on the second prove, you need to create some surface tension.
• If you are using a loaf tin, the shaping is not so important, but for all other types of bread it is worth getting it right.
• Don't forget to prepare the loaf tin or baking tray before you start shaping the dough!
• To make the loaf or bloomer shape, press the proved dough into a rectangle and fold into thirds like you would with puff pastry, then repeat in the other direction. Next, start folding over the long end of the dough, pushing it in on itself as you go, to create a log shape.

• Once the loaf is rolled it can be placed seam-side down in a loaf tin or on a baking tray.
• If the dough is quite sticky when shaping, you can wet your hands and work surface with a little water to prevent it sticking.
• Just before baking slash the dough with a very sharp knife – this is both for decorative and practical purposes as it controls the direction in which the bread rises whilst baking.

 

Baking the dough:

• Put the bread in the oven at a very high temperature to begin with. This helps it to puff up further and creates a good crust.
• To emulate the fancy steam-injecting ovens that bakers use, put a deep baking tray or roasting tin at the bottom of the oven as it preheats, then chuck in a pint of water just after placing the uncooked bread on the shelf above it.
• You can also use a spray bottle of water to create steam, either in place of the tray of water, or to top the steam up as it bakes.
• If baking in a loaf tin, take the bread out of the tin halfway through cooking so the sides that are covered by the tin can get properly cooked as well.
• Some people say you shouldn't cut into a loaf whilst still warm from the oven, but I say if you have made your own bread you can do what you like with it – although a good slathering of butter is non-negotiable!

The basic loaf:

 

500g bread flour (white, wholemeal, malted, seeded or a mixture)

5g salt

7g sachet of instant yeast

250-350ml water

• Put the flour into a large mixing bowl
• Mix the salt into one half of the flour and the yeast into the other, then mix both halves together
• Gradually add the water, stirring with your free hand until it comes together in a rough dough
• Tip it all out onto a work surface and knead, adding more water as necessary
• Continue kneading until the dough forms a smooth, soft ball (about 10-15 minutes)
• Place the dough in the bowl that that you used to mix it in, cover with clingfilm and leave to prove until doubled in size, around 1 ½ to 3 hours
• Grease a loaf tin with some oil and sprinkle with flour
• Dip your hands in some water and scrape the dough out of the bowl
• Knead the dough a couple of times to press out some of the air bubbles
• Shape the dough into a loaf (see notes above) then place in the prepared tin
• Leave to prove until doubled in size again (around 1-2 hours)
• Preheat the oven to 230°C, placing a deep baking tray in the bottom
• Just before it's ready to go in the oven, sprinkle with flour and slash the top with the desired pattern
• Place in the loaf tin in the middle of the oven and throw a glass of water into the baking tray underneath (or spray the inside of the oven with a spray bottle of water) to create steam
• Bake for 20 minutes before taking out of the tin, returning to the oven and turning the temperature down to 200°C
• Bake for a further 20-30 minutes, until the loaf sounds hollow when the base is tapped
• Transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool for as long as you can resist the smell of freshly baked bread!