Basic Bread

I'm sure everyone has had a bread recipe at some time or another but this is the one that I use! I make it in my food mixer with a dough hook, but it can be made just as easily by hand or even in a breadmaker if you have one!

 

Approx cost per loaf 41p

Prep (inc proving time) 1hr 45 mins Cooking 30 mins




Ingredients

450g strong white bread flour

7g sachet dried yeast

1tsp sugar

1½ tsp salt

300ml warm water

extra flour for dusting

Place the flour, salt, sugar & yeast in a bowl.

Gradually stir in the water then bring it all together with your hands to form a dough.

On a floured work surface knead the dough for about 5-6 minutes until smooth & elastic.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl & leave to rise somewhere warm for about an hour. You want it to double in size.

Remove the dough from the bowl & place on a floured surface again. Give it a couple of quick punches then knead again for about 1 minute. This is called “knocking back” & it's necessary to get all the excess air out of the dough before proving.

Shape the dough into a round & then place on a baking tray, cover & leave to rise for another 30 minutes.

Before cooking make 3 slits in the bread then bake in the oven at 200 Fan/220C/Gas 7 for about 25-30 minutes.

Once cooked the bread should sound hollow when tapped on the base.

For a crispier crust sprinkle or spray the dough with water before cooking!

Store in a bread bin if you have one, I usually wrap it in foil as I find it works better than cling film but to be honest it gets eaten so quickly it isn't really a problem!

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