Makes 1 large or 2 small loaves • Preparation 3 hours • Baking 30 minutes
You don’t have to start your baking adventure with this simple white loaf, but you could do a lot worse. This recipe will introduce you to the key techniques you’ll need for most bread-making. The dough is baked in a tin to give it that regular, easy-slicing shape that we are so fond of and it’s ideal for sandwiches and toasting. Once you’re confident baking this, you can try a simple white cob loaf using the same dough.
Ingredients
200g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
200g wholemeal pastry flour
8g salt
7g instant yeast
25g unsalted butter, softened
265 ml cool water roughly
Olive oil for kneading and oiling the tin
Method
Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. Don’t put the salt directly onto the yeast, as you may kill the yeast or at the very least slow it down.
Add the butter and three-quarters of the water, and turn the mixture round with your fingers. Continue to add the remaining water, a little at a time, until you’ve picked up all the flour from the sides of the bowl. You may not need to add all the water, or you may need to add a little more – you don’t want dough that is soft, but not soggy. Use the mixture to clean the inside of the bowl and keep going until the mixture forms a rough dough.
Coat the work surface with a little oil; using olive oil rather than flour on the work surface to prevent sticking keeps the dough soft. Then tip the dough onto the surface and begin to knead. Keep kneading for 5-10 minutes. Work through the initial wet stage until the dough starts to form a soft, smooth skin.
When your dough feels smooth and silky, put it into a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise until at least doubled in size – this means at least 1 hours, but it’s fine to leave it for 2 or even 3 hours. Resting the dough strengthens it and helps develop a robust crumb structure.
Prepare a 1kg loaf tin or two 500g loaf tins by rubbing olive oil over the inside. If you have not used the tin before, it should be seasoned.
Tip you dough onto a lightly floured surface. If you are making 2 smaller loaves, divide the dough in half.
First shape into a ball by folding the dough inwards repeatedly until all the air is knocked out and the dough is smooth. Then form into an oblong by flattening the dough out slightly and folding the sides into the middle. Roll the whole lot up – the top should be smooth with a join running along the length of the base. Put your dough into the prepared tin, making sure the join is underneath.
Put the tin(s) inside clean plastic bag(s) and leave it to prove for about 1 hours, until the dough is at least doubled in size and springs back quickly if you prod it lightly with your finger. Meanwhile, heat your over to 220°C and put a roasting tray in the bottom to heat up.
Dust the risen, springy dough with flour and slash the top with a knife – a sharp serrated blade is ideal. Fill the roasting tray in the oven with hot water to create steam and put the bread into the oven.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the bread is cooked through. Check by tipping the loaf out of the tin and tapping the base – it should sound hollow. Cool the loaf, out of the tin, on a wire rack.
