Wow, this two posts a week target really isn’t going well!
Once again I had a really busy week last week, with 2 different groups of
friends staying over that I had to entertain (and of course, the usual job
apps)! However this time I did do a lot of cooking, just didn’t get the chance
to write it down.
First of all I give you…bread! I’ve made three loaves over
the past week and they have all been AMAZING (if I don’t say so myself). The
recipe I used is a kind of hybrid I made by combining recipes from three
different sources* and is super easy once you get the hang of it. Nothing beats
the smell of fresh bread :)
Makes 1 x standard
loaf tin sized loaf (...say that again?)
Ingredients:
500g flour (‘strong’ bread flour is normally recommended,
though I used ordinary plain white flour the first time and it turned out fine)
1 x 7g packet of fast action dried yeast
25g soft dairy/vegan butter (I've tried it with both Flora and Pure Dairy Free Sunflower Spread - no difference)
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp olive oil (plus extra for greasing work surface)
300ml warm water
1-2 tbsp seeds (optional, for the loaf in the photo I used
sesame and poppy)
Method:
1.
Put the flour and butter into a large mixing
bowl. Rub together with fingertips to make a fine bread-crumb like texture.
2.
Add the yeast, sugar, and salt – making sure the
yeast and salt are on opposite sides of the bowl as the salt can kill the
yeast. Mix in with a wooden spoon.
3.
Make a well in the centre of the mixture and add
the oil with about ¼ of the water. Mix in with your hands, gradually adding
more water and the 1 tbsp of seeds until a soft dough consistency is reached –
this may require more or less water than stated, use your judgement so it
doesn’t end up too dry or too sticky. Gather up into a ball.
4.
Lightly oil a clean chopping board or work
surface and put the dough on it (works better than flour at stopping the dough
from sticking, but still might be a good idea to flour your hands if the dough
is quite sticky). Knead for around 5 minutes until it feels smooth and elastic.
Lightly oil the mixing bowl and put the dough back in. Cover with a damp cloth
or oiled cling film. Leave in a warm place (but not too hot) for an hour to
rise and double in size.
5.
Once risen, punch it once in the centre (the fun
bit, to knock the air out) and tip out again onto an oiled or floured surface
(if its oily enough already use flour). Knead again for a few minutes then
gather together and put in the loaf tin or make a circular shape and put on a
baking tray. Cover again with the cloth/cling film and leave to rise again for
½ - 1 hour.
6.
While waiting for it to rise, preheat the oven
to 200 degrees C and put a roasting tray on the bottom of the oven.
7.
Once risen for the second time, sprinkle with
the remaining seeds, or just flour if you’re not using seeds. Open the oven and
pour cold water into the roasting tray to create steam (for the crust to
develop) and put the bread on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for approx. 30
minutes until it looks golden brown on top and sounds ‘hollow’ when you take it
out and tap it underneath. Leave on a wire rack to cool.
Notes/Tips:
-
Prepare a washing up bowl of warm, soapy water
and a clean tea towel ready beforehand – this is a messy job and you’ll
probably want to wash your hands regularly throughout.
-
For a shiny, crunchy crust, you can mix an egg
and brush it on top just before cooking.
-
Like I said, I just used plain white flour the
first time and it still rose well and tasted great. Most recipes will recommend
you use ‘strong’ bread flour though. Feel free to experiment with this,
especially wholemeal to make it more nutritious!
-
It’s often advised to slit the top of the dough
with a very sharp knife just before it goes in the oven…not sure why, but it
looks nice!
-
Paul Hollywood has a good explanation for how to
knead dough properly here (this is one of the recipes I based mine on): http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/paul_hollywoods_crusty_83536
*Sources:
‘Why not try…White loaf’ recipe on the back of Sainsbury’s
Fast Action Dried Yeast 7g sachets.
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