Baking your own bread is one of those things that I've always admired in people that do so! And I'm not on about sticking it in the bread maker, which once upon time about 10 years or so ago was in the 'in' thing to have in your kitchen. Ok so they've lasted a little longer than juicers and smoothie machines, but how many of you have one sat on the worktop or in the cupboard, gathering dust? Anyway back to what I was saying...
Until a month or so ago, I'd been saying 'one day I'll give it a go, every now and then like, as it's just a faff all the time!' Oh how wrong was I? For the last month or so, I think the only shop brought bread we've brought is the occasional baguette from Waitrose and fresh bread from the farm shop, else all the bread in the house has been kneaded by my very own hands... and I love it!
Admittedly I've not yet ventured into anything more exciting than a wholemeal loaf, oh and the 2 white loaves I had a go at; but on the whole with the diet still going for the sibling's wedding, that's all we've needed as His Lordship has only been having it for his breakfast and sandwiches. However, having started down the bread making road I do want to have a go at baking bread rolls for his lunch, and pita breads for me... In the meantime, until I'm feeling more confident, I'm happy to commit an hour out of my Sunday morning's to baking 2 loaves a week. Yes, really an hour, if that! The beauty of the bread is that most of the time you let the yeast do its own work, so really the bread machines do not take that much work out of the process.
The main reasons for giving the bread a go stems from food hero (well one of mine) Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's last River Cottage series; in which they show how it's not as difficult as it seems and also go in search of better bread, without all the fangled hybrid wheat and enzymes that keep your shop-brought bread softer for longer. Having watched the series, His Lordship announced that he wanted to give it a go, and off he trotted to his Mum's to borrow their bread tins. That is not to say that his Mum doesn't need them, His Lordship's sister is gluten intolerant and therefore they make gluten free bread with a bread maker. I am told that for gluten free this is the easiest way of making the bread as it is a lot harder to knead effectively. So anyway, the tins arrived and they are still here...
The best thing about making your own bread, except the sense of achievement and knowing your ingredients are additive and preservative free is that fresh from the oven smell and good British butter melting into the still warm bread...
For more information on bread, ingredients, supply and demand, check out The Real Bread Campaign
And to show just how easy it can be, here's the recipe that I've been using. It's simple and easy, and kneading doubles up as a good arm workout...
What You'll Need
750g Stone-ground Wholemeal Flour - although any strong bread flour will do. There's plenty available out there but Doves Organic is great, but we tend to use the local Shipton Mill flour
4 tablespoons Rapeseed Oil - Olive oil is also good, or alternatively you can use 40g of chilled butter
2.5 teaspoons of dried yeast - or about 20g of fresh yeast. You can also get sachets of fast-acting yeast; you'll need about 1.5 sachets of these but check the instructions to see what they say first
400-425ml of warm water
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons of caster sugar
What You'll Need to Do
First off, we need to activate the yeast so that it will do its thing and help the bread prove.
Add 150ml of warm water into a measuring jug
Dissolve the caster sugar in the warm water
Add the yeast and leave for around 5 minutes or so, somewhere warm, until the yeast mixture froths up. If you are using yeast sachets, double check whether the yeast should stand, so fast-acting yeasts do not need too.
Whilst the yeast is activating, in a large mixing bowl sift the flour and then add the un-sifted husks
Add the salt and mix together
Make a well in the flour and add in the Rapeseed Oil. If you are using chilled butter, rub this in until it has a breadcrumb texture
Add the yeast mixture and combine with the flour and oil
Add the remaining warm water, a bit at a time, until the dough is loose and manageable but not sticky. You may not need all the water, but if your dough is too dry add a little more.
Next is the fun bit...
Knead the dough in the bowl until all the ingredients have combined, then on a lightly floured surface knead the dough for about 10 minutes or so until it is smooth and springy.
Kneading encourages the yeast to continue to multiply and develop the gluten to make the dough stretchy and rise. Apparently, you can do this in the trusty Magimix but there are just some things that are better by hand!
Lightly oil the inner surface of a large bowl, trust me this is such a good thing to do. The one time I forgot, the dough well and truly stuck itself to my bowl after it had risen, this way it comes out nice and easy.
Form the kneaded dough into a ball and pop it in the oiled bowl.
You now want to keep it covered and somewhere warm. Some people say to put it in a clean bin bag or freezer bag, cover it with a lid or a tea towel and place it in the air-cupboard; all are perfectly viable options. However I don't have an airing cupboard, so I cover mine with two layers of Clingfilm that I will reuse later, and pop it on the window still in the sun.
Leave the dough to rise for about an hour, or until it has doubled in size. I bet you that you can't help yourself and keep going back to check on it every 5 minutes. I love watching it rise.
When the dough has risen, you need to knock it back, either punch it down in the bowl to deflate it, or tip it out on to a work surface and press all over it with your fingers.
Give the dough another knead for 5 minutes or so, then set it to one side while you lightly oil your loaf tins.
Spilt the dough into 2 pieces and make them into oval-ish shapes and pop them in your tins.
Using the two pieces of Clingfilm from earlier, cover each tin and place them somewhere warm again for another 30 minutes or so to rise.
Whilst the bread is on its final rise, pre-heat your oven to about 220 degC.
When the loaves have doubled in size, remove the Clingfilm and pop them in the oven, for 15 minutes at 220 degC, then for a further 20 minutes at 200 degC.
When they have turned a lovely golden colour on top, turn them out straight away onto a cooling wire.
When they are cooled completely store them wrapped in a tea towel in the bread bin, or alternatively we have been freezing a loaf for the end of the week so that it doesn't go stale.
Or, if you can't help yourself, give it 5 minutes or so to cool down before you slice a wedge of fresh bread off, spread it with butter and devour with a chunk of cheese...
