Bread is an amazing thing to make; the magic of mixing flour and water, the anticipation waiting for the yeast to rise and the wonderful smell that fills the home as it cooks in the oven. Some things are just as good as running the heater after a cold walk. Here’s five easy to follow steps and a chance to punch the shit out of something inanimate, twice.
- 500 grams bread flour
- 315 mls warm water
- 10g yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons fine salt
- extra flour and water
- Pile the flour onto a clean surface. I just give my tabletop a quick wipe down, dry it off and then plonk everything down. If you want to be a neat freak you can put some baking paper down first. Add half of the water then add the yeast, sugar and salt on top and slowly mix it in with a fork. Make a very deep well in the flour and ensure the walls of the well are strong, otherwise, like me, water will leak everywhere and drip onto the floor. I’m all class.
- When it looks like porridge, add the rest of the water and when it’s mixed in well, start pushing and pulling the sticky dough with your hands. If it’s a bit dry, add a splash of water and keep on kneading. If it’s too wet, add a touch of flour. Put your whole body into it. Play some loud, fast music and knead. Sing along and head bang a little. When the dough comes away from your hands, you know it’s perfect.
- Sprinkle with flour, put it in a glass bowl and cover with cling wrap. Put it on top of the fridge for 40 minutes if it’s cold and dry. If it’s warm, it’ll be ready in half an hour. Don’t clean up, relish the mess you’re making.
- Take the bowl off the fridge and out turn it onto your floured surface. Punch that dough down like there’s no tomorrow for 30 seconds. Again, loud music helps. Place the dough onto the flour-dusted container or tray you want to cook your bread in/on. Wait until it’s doubled it’s size again, the air that’s making it’s way into the dough will make the bread soft and light later on. Be patient. Use this time to clean up the mess you made and to preheat your oven to 230 Celsius/445 Fahrenheit.
- Gently place your dough onto the middle rack of your oven and close the door very, very slowly so you don’t add any more cold air than is necessary. Check in 25 minutes and if it looks ok, tap the bottom of the bread. If it sounds hollow then it’s cooked. If not, put it back in and check in eight minute intervals. Once done, place on a wire rack and leave it to cool for 30 minutes.
This recipe is adapted from the wonderful Jamie Oliver.