I have made bread for well over thirty years. I find it the most interesting and pleasurable branch of cookery. And contrary to what you may believe it is easy! There are really only TWO major rules: don’t make the mixture too stiff, and don’t try to force it to rise by overheating the dough. Heat can actually kill yeast and then of course nothing happens.
With this recipe, by adding ingredients and changing the shape and size, you are well on the way to making most breads that you see in the baker's shops. Just read recipe books, experiment - and have confidence!
BASIC BREAD RECIPE
approx. 6 cups plain flour (wholemeal or white or a mixture of the two)
1/2 cup gluten flour *
l tablespoon dry yeast
l tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
l tablespoon oil (olive, vegetable, macadamia)
2 1/2 cups warm water
Place 3 cups flour, gluten flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the oil and water and mix well. Add enough more flour to make a soft dough. Start by adding the flour and stirring with a spoon, but at some point you will want to tip the mixture onto a bench and continue using your hands. Knead well until smooth and elastic adding only as much flour as is needed to make a smooth, soft dough. Wash mixing bowl and grease lightly. Place dough back into the bowl, turning to grease all the surface. Cover** and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled. Punch down and shape into loaves or rolls and place in greased tins or on greased trays. Loaf tins should be filled about half full. Cover again and let rise 30 minutes. The dough will be ‘doubled’ when it rises to within about 2cm of the top of the tin. Meanwhile preheat oven to 190C and when bread is risen, bake for around 45 minutes for loaves, and 25 minutes for rolls, depending on size. Test for done-ness (the base should sound hollow when tapped) and cool on a rack.
NB Never cut a hot loaf of bread as that ruins the texture – all the steam escapes. But as nobody ever takes any notice of this rule (especially when it is your first successful loaf ever) if you must cut it, use a hot knife. It will cut more easily. Oh, and don't worry about the ruined texture – it will taste so great that the family will surely eat the whole loaf in one meal anyway!
*Add this if the flour you are using is not strong – soft flour is for cakes.
** I collect plastic shower caps from hotels in which I stay. They are ideal to cover even large bowls. Plastic keeps the heat in and it means you don’t put oil on your tea towels.
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