Homemade Bread
Just out of the oven... my golden knot loaf made with wholegrain flour and sprinkled with white and black sesame seeds
This is my recipe for homemade bread. There is nothing better than getting a golden loaf of freshly baked bread out of the oven and slathering a warm slice with butter and devouring it. There is a misconception that making bread is a difficult and laborious job but it’s not! True, it takes around 2 hours to produce a loaf but 90% of that time is spent with the bread sitting in a warm spot doing its own thing. Your loaf will only really require attention for 10 -15 minutes and the results are really worth it. So if you have a day at home, or a lazy weekend, how about trying to make your own loaf of homemade bread? and before you think its too hard just remember they have been making bread since 25BC… its not that hard.
This recipe will make one small loaf enough for around 6-8 slices or 6 rolls. It doubles well but just keep an eye on the texture of the dough and add extra flour if it is sticky or extra warm water if it is dry. Because this is a homemade bread free of preservatives, it will not keep well so it is best if you eat it on the day of baking, however it will make great toast the next morning.
INGREDIENTS
300g bread flour (I like to use a seedy bread mix, but white flour is fine too)
190ml of lukewarm water
1 heaped teaspoon of active dry yeast
1/2 a teaspoon of sugar
1/2 a teaspoon of salt
METHOD
In a small bowl combine the water, sugar and yeast. Mix well and set aside for 5 minutes until the yeast is frothed and activated.
mixture of active dry yeast, water and sugar
5 minutes later, the yeast has frothed up to show that it is active and is ready to be used
In a Large bowl combine the flour and salt, add the yeast mixture to a well in the middle and stir until you have a ball of dough.
Seedy bread flour with a well full of the yeast and water mixture, ready for mixing
mixed dough on a floured surface ready for kneading
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured benchtop and knead for 6-8 minutes until you have a smooth elastic ball of dough that is not sticky.
smooth elastic ball of dough after kneading
Depending on the flour you use, you may need to add some more water or flour to your dough to achieve the right consistency. Ideally your dough should be soft and smooth but not sticky.
Place your ball of dough into a lightly oiled bowl cover with a plastic bag and a clean tea towel and sit in a warm spot for 45 minutes until it is doubled in size.
dough that has doubled in size after a sucessful first rise
Gently punch your dough down and knead for another 2 minutes.
Shape into the desired shape and place on a greased tray, or bread tin, and allow to rise covered in a warm place for a further 30 minutes.
Bread in the shape of a knotted loaf
During this time preheat your oven to 160 degrees celcius.
After the bread has risen spray with a fine mist of water and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds if desired.
ready to go in the oven
Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown and a hollow sound is made when you tap on the base.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing… if you can wait that long.
VARIATIONS
You can get fancy and add cheese and herbs to the dough after the first rising, or sprinkle different nuts and seeds on top. You can also make your dough into any shape you desire from rolls to knots, french sticks to sandwich loaves. Use your imagination or google images of bread shapes for some ideas and tips of shaping your bread.