Super Easy Bread Recipe For Beginners

BREAD IN FOUR EASY STEPS

Steps:

• Tip the flour, yeast and salt into a large bowl and mix together with your hands. Stir 300ml hand-hot water with the oil and honey, then stir into the dry ingredients to make a soft dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins, until the dough no longer feels sticky, sprinkling with a little more flour if you need it.
• Oil a 900g loaf tin and put the dough in the tin, pressing it in evenly. Put in a large plastic food bag and leave to rise for 1 hr, until the dough has risen to fill the tin and it no longer springs back when you press it with your finger.
• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Make several slashes across the top of the loaf with a sharp knife, then bake for 30-35 mins until the loaf is risen and golden. Tip it out onto a cooling rack and tap the base of the bread to check it is cooked. It should sound hollow. Leave to cool.

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.

THE BEST BEGINNER SOURDOUGH BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the starter and water.
• Stir in the flour, and then add the salt.
• Use a fork to mix everything together until it becomes stiff- then switch to your hands to bring the dough together in a rough ball (Remember: don't overmix! This is supposed to be a no-knead-style wet dough.)
• Keep the rough dough in the bowl, cover it, and let sit for 30 minutes.
• After this resting time is complete, stretch and fold the dough a few times to form it into a ball. (See the video for a walk-through on how to do this.)
• Cover the dough with a clean dish towel and let it rise in a warm place overnight or until doubled in size (or about 8 hours). I like to make the dough before bed and leave it in my turned-off oven (I leave the oven light on) to rise overnight.
• The next morning (or after 8 hours), turn the dough out on your counter. Fold it over a couple of times to tighten it into a ball, then let sit for 15 minutes.
• After this resting period is complete, gently shape the dough into a ball once more place into a well-floured proofing basket or a bowl lined with a well-floured dish towel. Remember: don't add too much flour and do not knead the dough!
• Cover and rise for 2-3 hours, or until doubled.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal in the bottom of a Dutch oven (optional, but this helps the bottom not to scorch).
• Tip the loaf out of the proofing basket onto a sheet of parchment. Lower the parchment into the Dutch oven.
• Place the lid on the pot and bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove the lid and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until the loaf is deeply browned and crispy on top. (For a less crusty finish, bake for the entire time with the lid on.)
• Move to a cooling rack and allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing it.

EASY WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Whisk water, sugar and yeast together. Allow to stand for 10 minutes until foamy.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the flour and salt.
• With the mixer running, add the water and allow to knead in.
• Add the butter or oil, allow to knead in then add more flour, one third cup at a time until the dough is smooth.
• Knead for another minuted until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.
• If the dough is still very sticky, add more flour and knead in.
• The dough should be smooth and soft and only a slight bit sticky.
• Cover with plastic or a damp tea towel and allow to rise for 1 hour.
• Once the dough has proofed, press it into rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Roll onto its self into a log, pinch the seam then transfer to a loaf pan that has been lightly greased.
• Covere again and allow to rise for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
• Place in the oven and allow to bake for 30-45 minutes until golden brown and risen. Once baked the bread will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
• Remove, brush with a little butter and allow to cool before slicing.

YEAST BREAD

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients. You can make the bread by hand or use a stand mixer with a dough hook to speed up the process.
• Place the dried yeast in a small jug, add the sugar, and 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water. Stir and put to one side. Keep checking the jug and within 10 minutes, it should be bubbling and foamy. If it is not, leave a little longer, the speed is often dependent on the ambient air temperature; on a cold day, it can take longer.
• Put the flour and butter into a large baking bowl. Add the salt and once the yeast is foaming, add this to the bowl and gently stir with a spoon until everything is combined.
• Add half the remaining lukewarm water and mix with your fingers, then gradually add more water a little at a time until you have a soft but not sticky dough. The precise amount of water you will need depends on several things, including the flour you are using, sometimes even the weather. The most important thing is to stop once the dough once it is as described above.
• Now is the time to knead the dough . You can use a stand mixer for 6 to 8 minutes or knead on the work surface as follows. Gather the dough into a ball and fold it in half towards you. Press down and away from you firmly, but lightly with the heels of your hands. Turn dough 1/4 turn and repeat process. Do this for about 4 or 5 minutes, working quickly until the dough is smooth and stretchy. It is ready when it is soft and pliable without any stickiness.
• Using a little olive oil, lightly grease a clean mixing bowl and put the dough in. Cover the bowl with a towel and set in a warm spot to proof , this will take about an hour. Once doubled, press fingers gently into the dough and the indentation will remain when you remove your fingers.
• Line a baking sheet with either a silicone mat or paper. Scrape the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and knock out the air by quickly kneading for a few turns. Once flattened, roll up the dough, turn 45 degrees, and roll up again. Do this twice more the gently smooth the dough into a loaf shape.
• Put the loaf onto the baking tray, cover again with a damp towel, and leave to prove for another hour.
• Preheat the oven to 425 F.
• Remove the cloth, sprinkle a little flour over the surface of the bread, and ever so gently rub it in with losing any air or height from the loaf. With a thin, sharp knife, slash the surface, no more than a quarter-inch deep, 3 or 4 times, then criss-cross the opposite creating a diamond pattern.
• Bake in the center of the hot oven for 30 minutes until beautifully risen and golden brown. You will know the bread is cooked when it makes a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom. Note: If you want a crustier loaf, read the notes below on adding steam to your oven.
• Remove from the oven and leave to go cold on a cooling rack. Eats with lots of butter and enjoy. The bread is best eaten fresh the day it is made, though it does make delicious toast. The loaf also freezes well, defrost slowly overnight in the fridge when you want to eat it.