Bread has an almost infinite variety of flour, flavour, shape, size, addins and finishes. Once you have found “your recipe” then anything is possible. Softer dough for bread buns – no problem. Fancy olive oil and sun-dried tomatoes, just change the fat and add tomatoes to “your recipe” Soon you will be baking sourdough bread.
A good place to start is a strong white bread flour available from wherever the family shopping is done. Organic if that is what is needed. The criteria is that it is available week after week. Water from your tap or filter. Fat is a choice: Use vegetable shortening if vegetarians will eat the bread, otherwise use lard. Lard is the traditional bread fat and it does give flavor. Once opened dried yeast keeps in the fridge for weeks. The only requirement for salt is that it must be fine, sea salt again has more flavour. A little sugar is the final but optional ingredient. Five maybe six things which togeather with time, the oven and a little effort make bread.
A food processor is ideal for this size of recipe. Although if any frustrations need to be worked off, by all means use both hands in a large bowl!
The Method
1.Thoroughly mix the sugar, yeast and warm water.
2.Add the flour salt and fat to the bowl and mix. Breaking down the fat and distributing the salt.
3.Add the yeast mixture to form a dough.
By hand this can take five or more minutes. By machine only two. Check the dough consistency. It should feel firm but not stiff. Its surface should be smooth. If in doubt a small amount of water may be added. But rather a stiff dough than a “slack” one. This is the first time for this recipe and it is simply testing the flour. Good-quality English supermarket bread flour will need this amount of water. Stronger flour made with higher quality wheat may need a little extra. But don't worry. This is a test and the result will enable a correct balance the next time.
4.So let the dough “prove” in a warm place, covered with a damp cloth. After about an hour it will have nearly doubled in size.
5. Divide into two on a floured surface and then shape into two loaves. What shape and how you do it is not important at this stage. Aim for a round shape, rolling the dough between both hands. If the dough has sufficient water this will give you a smooth surface. Too much and you might have a sticky mess requiring you to have well floured hands. Not enough water in the dough will make it hard to shape. Don't worry it, will still taste fantastic, far better than store bought bread.
6. Leave it to rise covered with the still damp cloth a second time. Doubling in size again.
7. Then place in a very hot oven. On the oven floor stand a shallow dish with about 100gms of boiling water. Turn the oven temperature down to 200°C (400F gas mark 6) and leave for 15 minutes.
8. Then turn the bread around and give a further 15 minutes.
9. If the loaf is baked tapping the bottom will give a hollow sound. Leave on a baking wire to cool. Stand back and admire! Be honest about the result and write down the changes needed for next time. More water or less, better shaping, more oven time. Lower Temperature or higher?
Next time it will be perfect and then The kitchen has “your bread” recipe. Enjoy.
The Basic Bread Recipe.
- Warm Water (weigh this) 270 gms
- Dried Yeast 15 gms
- Sugar 2 gms
- Bread Flour 500 gms
- Salt 2 gms
- Fat of Some Kind 25 gms
If you must, then use the following conversion table.
David Smith - Before I retired I was the CEO of the UK's trade Association which represents Artisan or Master Bakers. Previously I ran my own bakery and ...
