Bread
Bread
Bread is really fun to make and you can get really creative with it!
Sliced bread is often packed with sugars and preservatives to make it last. If you make it at home, you’re automatically cutting out all these extras and leaving yourself with just the good bits!
Keep it in the bread bin or wrapped in cling film, so it won’t go stale like fresh baguettes do.
How to make basic bread
This recipe is a really good basis for pizza dough, pitta breads and rolls.
Ingredients
- White or wholemeal bread flour
- Dried yeast sachets
- A tiny bit of sugar (to activate the yeast)
- A tiny bit of salt
- Olive oil (optional)
Optional extras…
Seeds, pesto, pastes, herbs, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, lardons, cheese… The list is endless
Instructions
1. Fill a glass or bowl with about 1/4 of a pint of warm water, then add a sachet of yeast, sugar and olive oil (optional). Mix it together and leave it for a few minutes until the yeast starts to look a bit foamy.
2. Pour about half of the bag of flour into a bowl and add a little bit of salt.
3. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the yeast and water mixture. Mix together with a fork (you might need to add a bit more water) and once the dough starts to come together, knead it with your hands until it’s smooth and stretchy.
4. Cover the dough and leave it for about half an hour to rise, preferably somewhere warm. Preheat your oven to about 180 degrees.
5. Once it’s risen, knead the dough again to get rid of all the air inside it. This is called knocking back the dough and will help it rise better in the oven.
6. Now it’s time to put the dough in the oven; put it in a baking tin, or if you don’t have one, just put it on a baking tray with some greaseproof paper or foil underneath it and leave it in the oven for about 30 minutes.
7. When it’s cooked remove the bread from the baking tray immediately or else it will condense and get damp. Leave it to cool for a little while and then enjoy it warm with some butter.