Foolproof Bread Recipes

THROW AWAY THE BREAD MACHINE INSTRUCTIONS!.... WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Place the water into the bread pan.
• Sprinkle the sugar then the yeast over the water; allow the yeast to foam for 10 minutes.
• Add in the melted butter, oil, flour and salt.
• Select the BASIC or WHITE BREAD setting and press start.

BASIC HOMEMADE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in warm water; let stand until bubbles form on surface. Whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, salt and 3 cups flour. Stir oil into yeast mixture; pour into flour mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1-1/2 to 2 hours., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough in half. Shape each into a loaf. Place in 2 greased 9x5-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, 1 to 1-1/2 hours., Bake at 375° until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped or has reached an internal temperature of 200°, 30-35 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

FOOLPROOF BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Measure the water and weigh out the flour, salt and yeast, taking care not to allow the yeast and salt to touch, as this will kill the yeast. I use Instant yeast, but if you use active yeast make sure to premix it with lukewarm water to activate it.
• Mix all ingredients in a bowl until a dough has formed, then knead for 5-10 minutes. By the end time the dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Take note: If you can't stand the sticky dough on your hands DO NOT add extra flour, as you will end up with a dry, dense bread - wetting your hands will help.
• Put the bowl of dough in the fridge for at least 8 hours (preferably overnight). This step is called retardation, since the cooler temperature slows down the yeast reaction but allows the flavour to continue developing.
• Take the dough out of the fridge and let it rise for around 3 hours (2 1/2 if it's a very warm day). If you're like me it can be tempting to shorten the proofing time, but underproofing will result in an ugly loaf that tears along the sides when you put it in the oven.
• As the 3 hours are coming to a close, thoroughly clean a section of work surface, and use a silicon brush to lightly oil it with any flavourless oil (I use sunflower oil). In addition prepare a baking sheet by covering it with baking parchment and sieving a liberal amount of flour (semolina flour if you have it) onto the parchment. Don't put the flour away, you'll need it in a second.
• Deflate the dough on the section of oiled work surface and shape it until it is roughly the shape you want. Once you have achieved the shape you would like sprinkle a handful of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough in it until it is covered.
• Place the dough seam side down onto the baking tray and cover with a clean, linen tea towel to rise for a further 1hr 30 (1 hr if it's a very warm day). 20 minutes before the time is up preheat the oven to 230 degrees Celsius.
• Once the second proofing time is up, remove the tea towel and use a sharp knife (or serrated, if you prefer) to score three diagonal lines about 1/4 inch deep widthways across the bread, wetting the knife between each score. Try to be gentle with the dough so you don't deflate it.
• Do your final shaping of the dough, (gently use the palm of your hands to shape the sides of the dough) then place the bread into the middle shelf of the oven, immediately turning the heat down to 200 degrees Celsius. Set the timer for 40 minutes.
• Once the bread is done, take it off the baking parchment and put it onto a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes, making sure not to burn yourself.
• Enjoy!

SOFT WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Place the warm water and sugar in a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to proof.
• Add the butter and 2 cups of the flour, and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
• Stir in an additional 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 cups of flour, along with the salt, mixing until the dough gathers itself into a ball and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
• Continue to knead, adding an additional 1/2 to 3/4 cup flour, until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).
• Place the dough in a large greased bowl, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (30 to 45 minutes).
• Lightly mist a 5 cup loaf pan with non-stick spray.
• Punch down the dough and shape it into a loaf.
• Place the dough in the prepared pan, cover it loosely with greased plastic wrap, and allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (30 to 45 minutes).
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Uncover the dough and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when lightly tapped.

GRANDMA'S PERFECT HOMEMADE BREAD

Steps:

• In a stand mixer add the warm water, sugar, salt and yeast. Let the yeast proof until it bubbles for about 5 minutes. Using the dough hook start adding the flour one cup at a time until the dough combines and forms a soft dough.
• On a floured surface knead the dough until smooth and elastic and form a ball. Add the oil to the large bowl and add the dough to the bowl and cover. Let rise until it has doubled 1- 1 1/2 hours.
• Grease and flour 2 9x5 inch pans. Punch the dough to release the air. Lay the dough onto a flat surface and cut into two loaves. Roll each loaf up and place into the loaf pans. Let rise until it doubles another 1-1 1/2 hours.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on the tops. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

BASIC BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Stage 1: making a well Pile the flour on to a clean surface and make a large well in the centre. Pour half your water into the well, then add your yeast, sugar and salt and stir with a fork.
• Stage 2: getting it together Slowly, but confidently, bring in the flour from the inside of the well. (You don't want to break the walls of the well, or the water will go everywhere.) Continue to bring the flour in to the centre until you get a stodgy, porridgey consistency - then add the remaining water. Continue to mix until it's stodgy again, then you can be more aggressive, bringing in all the flour, making the mix less sticky. Flour your hands and pat and push the dough together with all the remaining flour. (Certain flours need a little more or less water, so feel free to adjust.)
• Stage 3: kneading! This is where you get stuck in. With a bit of elbow grease, simply push, fold, slap and roll the dough around, over and over, for 4 or 5 minutes until you have a silky and elastic dough.
• Stage 4: first prove Flour the top of your dough. Put it in a bowl, cover with cling film, and allow it to prove for about half an hour until doubled in size - ideally in a warm, moist, draught-free place. This will improve the flavour and texture of your dough and it's always exciting to know that the old yeast has kicked into action.
• Stage 5: second prove, flavouring and shaping Once the dough has doubled in size, knock the air out for 30 seconds by bashing it and squashing it. You can now shape it or flavour it as required - folded, filled, tray-baked, whatever - and leave it to prove for a second time for 30 minutes to an hour until it has doubled in size once more. This is the most important part, as the second prove will give it the air that finally ends up being cooked into your bread, giving you the really light, soft texture that we all love in fresh bread. So remember - don't fiddle with it, just let it do its thing.
• Stage 6: cooking your bread Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Very gently place your bread dough on to a flour-dusted baking tray and into the preheated oven. Don't slam the door or you'll lose the air that you need. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked and golden brown. You can tell if it's cooked by tapping its bottom - if it sounds hollow it's done, if it doesn't then pop it back in for a little longer. Once cooked, place on a rack and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes - fandabidozi. Feel free to freeze any leftover bread.

BEST BREAD MACHINE BREAD

Steps:

• Place the water, sugar and yeast in the pan of the bread machine. Let the yeast dissolve and foam for 10 minutes. Add the oil, flour and salt to the yeast. Select Basic or White Bread setting, and press Start.

FOOLPROOF WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Line a large bowl with clingfilm. Lightly grease 3 baking trays. Tip the flour on to a work surface or into a large bowl and add the yeast, salt and sugar. Crumble the ingredients through your fingers to mix everything together and to warm up the flour. When all is incorporated, make a well in the centre and slowly add the water and a splash of olive oil, kneading the dough until it comes together. Place the dough in the lined bowl and cover with clingfilm. Leave the dough to rise in a warm environment (an airing cupboard or a warm stovetop, or even on a table or shelf next to a warm radiator) for up to 2 hours, until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C fan/gas 9. Once the dough has risen, transfer it to a floured work surface, then knock it back and knead well to remove all the air. Cut the dough into 3 equal pieces, then divide each third into 10 equal-sized pieces; they will weigh about 50g each. Now form the rolls one at a time. Take a piece of dough in the palm of your hand (or a piece in each palm if you practise!) and push it hard on the work surface, rolling it around slowly and raising your fingers gradually to arch your hand. The dough will form a ball with a join underneath - this is essential for the roll to prove and cook from the base up and retain its shape. Line the rolls up on the baking trays and sift flour over them to create a light dusting. Now snip the top of each roll with sharp scissors and insert a small sprig of thyme. Cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm environment again. After 20-30 minutes the rolls should have doubled in size. When the rolls have risen, remove the clingfilm and carefully place the trays in the oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the bottom of a roll sounds hollow when tapped. (If you don't have a fan oven, you may need to swap the trays around.) Remove the trays from the oven and allow the rolls to cool on a wire rack. If you can resist the bread with a knife full of butter before it's fully cooled, you're stronger-willed than l am! Tip: If you prefer to make loaves rather than rolls, this recipe will make 2 large loaves (in 1kg loaf tins) and the baking time will be about 45 minutes.