Easy Baking
Plain White Bread Loaf
I really love making bread. I think that's partly because bread is such a fundamental food. But it's also a very exciting and almost magical experience to knead dough and see it gradually rise. Finally enjoying the results after baking the dough is, of course, the main reward of all one's efforts. Use this recipe -- it's worth it!
Preparing time: 30 minutes
Resting time: 4 hours or until the dough doubles in size
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Makes: 1 loaf
Serves: 4
Dough
250 g (9 oz) strong white bread flour, plus extra
½ tsp salt
1 tsp dried active yeast for hand baking
½ tbsp caster sugar
150 ml water (body temperature) the amount of the water depends on the temperature at your workplace as well
25 g (1 oz) melted butter or olive oil
a little extra cooking oil
You will also need a large mixing bowl, a palette knife
2 lbs nonstick loaf tin, clingfilm
a plastic bag
1. Tip the flour on the clean working surface and make a deep well in the centre. Sprinkle the salt around out side the edge of the flour. Spoon the yeast and sugar in the deep well. Gently pour some of the water in the well and using your two or three fingers, stir to mix the yeast with the water. Keep stirring gently to make sure all the yeast is dissolved. During your fingers moving around into round circle the yeast will feeding them self with the water, sugar and flour. It's mean they are eating and growing all the time that what you really want. Add the remaining water and mix once more after the yeast and sugar have dissolved. Leave the flour and the pool of yeast mixture in that position for 20 minutes.
2. After 20 minutes or until you will see a lot of bubbles float on top of the yeast mixture. Add in the melted butter or olive oil, again dip your fingers into the yeast mixture and gentle move the flour little by little into the yeast mixture. Avoid breaking the pile of flour otherwise the yeast mixture will running out. When it all starts to come together, knead by pulling and stretching with the palm of your hands for 10-12 minutes to form a smooth firm dough. The idea is to stretch and develop the gluten within the dough. The dough will become less sticky and easier to handle as you knead.
3. Roughly mould the dough into a round shape and place in the dusted bowl and cover with the clingfilm.
Place it in a dried warm room this will gives the yeast time to work. It's then ready to rise.
The dough will take longer to grow at cold temperatures. If your kitchen is dry and warm it might take about 1 hour to rise and double in size. Or if you live in a cold country like me it might take slightly longer. Or you can make the dough in the evening, cover and let it rise overnight and you can finish it off the next day.
4. Lightly rub a plastic bag all over with the oil. Then lightly rub a loaf tin and all the sides with oil and dust the base with the flour. Then remove the clingfilm from the bowl. Press the dough down with a hand to knock out the air. Scoop up the dough and knead for another minutes. Rest it on a floured working surface and use both hands to mould it into an oblong shape. Then place it in the prepared loaf tin and press it down firmly all round the edges with the knuckles of your hands so that the top will be slightly rounded. Cover with the plastic bag that has been lightly oiled on the side that is facing the dough. Place it back in a dried warm room for another two hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
5. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) Gas mark 7, for 20 minutes before baking. Place a rack lightly lower than the centre of the oven. It's important for the oven to be very hot, otherwise the dough will collapse after you've put it in.
6. When the dough has doubled in size it is ready to bake in the oven. Remove the plastic bag over the dough and dust with some flour on top. Gently place the loaf into the oven and gently close the oven door.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is well-coloured and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it sharply with your fingers.
Carefully take the bread out of the oven. Gently shake the tin to remove the bread from it and place the loaf on a wire rack (or run a palette knife carefully between the crust and the tin to check that no crust has caught on the side before remove the bread from the tin) If the bread needs to be crisp at the bottom just turn it upside-down and place it back in the oven for another 5 minutes.
Transfer to a rack to cool down for a few minutes before slicing.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::
If you have enjoyed watching this video and would like to see some more could you please subscribe to my channel. You are welcome to visit my website and Facebook page at:
www.modernthaifood.com
www.thaifoodsecrets.com
www.facebook.com/Oi4Food
Special thanks to my son Jonathan Chai Lewell for the music
Easy Baking
Plain White Bread Loaf
I really love making bread. I think that's partly because bread is such a fundamental food. But it's also a very exciting and almost magical experience to knead dough and see it gradually rise. Finally enjoying the results after baking the dough is, of course, the main reward of all one's efforts. Use this recipe -- it's worth it!
Preparing time: 30 minutes
Resting time: 4 hours or until the dough doubles in size
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Makes: 1 loaf
Serves: 4
Dough
250 g (9 oz) strong white bread flour, plus extra
½ tsp salt
1 tsp dried active yeast for hand baking
½ tbsp caster sugar
150 ml water (body temperature) the amount of the water depends on the temperature at your workplace as well
25 g (1 oz) melted butter or olive oil
a little extra cooking oil
You will also need a large mixing bowl, a palette knife
2 lbs nonstick loaf tin, clingfilm
a plastic bag
1. Tip the flour on the clean working surface and make a deep well in the centre. Sprinkle the salt around out side the edge of the flour. Spoon the yeast and sugar in the deep well. Gently pour some of the water in the well and using your two or three fingers, stir to mix the yeast with the water. Keep stirring gently to make sure all the yeast is dissolved. During your fingers moving around into round circle the yeast will feeding them self with the water, sugar and flour. It's mean they are eating and growing all the time that what you really want. Add the remaining water and mix once more after the yeast and sugar have dissolved. Leave the flour and the pool of yeast mixture in that position for 20 minutes.
2. After 20 minutes or until you will see a lot of bubbles float on top of the yeast mixture. Add in the melted butter or olive oil, again dip your fingers into the yeast mixture and gentle move the flour little by little into the yeast mixture. Avoid breaking the pile of flour otherwise the yeast mixture will running out. When it all starts to come together, knead by pulling and stretching with the palm of your hands for 10-12 minutes to form a smooth firm dough. The idea is to stretch and develop the gluten within the dough. The dough will become less sticky and easier to handle as you knead.
3. Roughly mould the dough into a round shape and place in the dusted bowl and cover with the clingfilm.
Place it in a dried warm room this will gives the yeast time to work. It's then ready to rise.
The dough will take longer to grow at cold temperatures. If your kitchen is dry and warm it might take about 1 hour to rise and double in size. Or if you live in a cold country like me it might take slightly longer. Or you can make the dough in the evening, cover and let it rise overnight and you can finish it off the next day.
4. Lightly rub a plastic bag all over with the oil. Then lightly rub a loaf tin and all the sides with oil and dust the base with the flour. Then remove the clingfilm from the bowl. Press the dough down with a hand to knock out the air. Scoop up the dough and knead for another minutes. Rest it on a floured working surface and use both hands to mould it into an oblong shape. Then place it in the prepared loaf tin and press it down firmly all round the edges with the knuckles of your hands so that the top will be slightly rounded. Cover with the plastic bag that has been lightly oiled on the side that is facing the dough. Place it back in a dried warm room for another two hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
5. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) Gas mark 7, for 20 minutes before baking. Place a rack lightly lower than the centre of the oven. It's important for the oven to be very hot, otherwise the dough will collapse after you've put it in.
6. When the dough has doubled in size it is ready to bake in the oven. Remove the plastic bag over the dough and dust with some flour on top. Gently place the loaf into the oven and gently close the oven door.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is well-coloured and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it sharply with your fingers.
Carefully take the bread out of the oven. Gently shake the tin to remove the bread from it and place the loaf on a wire rack (or run a palette knife carefully between the crust and the tin to check that no crust has caught on the side before remove the bread from the tin) If the bread needs to be crisp at the bottom just turn it upside-down and place it back in the oven for another 5 minutes.
Transfer to a rack to cool down for a few minutes before slicing.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::
If you have enjoyed watching this video and would like to see some more could you please subscribe to my channel. You are welcome to visit my website and Facebook page at:
www.modernthaifood.com
www.thaifoodsecrets.com
www.facebook.com/Oi4Food
Special thanks to my son Jonathan Chai Lewell for the music
Post a Comment