Baking Bread At Home
A simple homemade bread recipe
I really enjoy making bread by hand. I've been baking bread at home for almost 10 years! It is fun, easy, and so rewarding! There is nothing better than the smell of freshly baked bread coming out of the kitchen and feeling the satisfaction of having made it myself!
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My recipe is very simple - 500g flour and 300ml water. 500-300, easy ratio to remember and makes a loaf or 8 rolls, plenty enough for a family dinner! The type of flour is up to you: white, wholemeal, granary flour - it all makes a lovely variation of this simple loaf.
1) I add a spoon of sugar to 300ml warm water and add yeast to it. I then let the yeast have a little party (15 mins in warm place will do, until a foam shows up on top).
2) I then add all dry ingredients (flour, butter, salt) into a bowl and stir, then add the yeasty water and stir, then knead. Once it looks like a ball of soft dough and bounces back when I gently poke it, I leave it to rise in a warm place for a few hours. The more rising, the better! I use this time to do my other house or farm chores or relax with a book...
3) After a while, I notice that the dough has risen and is HUGE, so I gently knock it back (i.e. knead again but gently, not pushing any air out).
4) I then like to roll into balls (I rarely shape into a loaf) and place on buttered/oiled baking tray and put in the oven. Rolls take 15-20 mins, loaf may take 30-50 mins - and I can never wait that long! I usually turn the rolls upside-down half way.
I know it's ready when I knock on the bread and it sounds hollow! Done! :)
The process can be a little messy! I remember having my cabinets and even the kitchen floor covered in flour but it became so much easier since I bought a large steel mixing bowl. Now I do all my mixing, kneading, rising and rolling in one bowl, it contains all the mess and there is only one bowl to wash up! Brilliant! Every homestead should have a large bowl like this! |
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This is my super rewarding recipe for a delicious homemade bread!
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