Making and Baking Bread Dough
Baking your own bread at home is very satisfying, and much less complicated than it seems at first sight. The following include all the basic information you need for bread-making, including how to use yeast and step-by-step instructions covering every stage of the operation.
Most household bread is made by the traditional method which is the double - rise method
Mixing
Entails sifting the flour and salt into a warmed bowl. (Tip bran sifted out of wholemeal or wheatmeal flour into the bowl and stir it in.) Prepare the yeast as required and add to the flour. Add the liquid all at once and mix to a soft, slightly sticky dough with a wooden spoon or fork, or the fingers of one hand. If the dough feels too wet, work in a little extra flour but avoid making it too dry.
Kneading
Means vigorously pulling and stretching the dough; it strengthens the gluten in the flour, ensuring a good rise and an even texture.
Form the dough into a ball and turn it out on to a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour your hands. Hold the edge nearest you steady with one hand; place the heel of the other hand in the centre and push down and away from you, stretching out the dough. Fold the dough back to the centre and then give it a quarter turn. Continue stretching, folding and turning the dough for about 10 minutes until the dough feels firm and elastic and is no longer sticky.
Mixing and kneading
Can be done using an electric table mixer with a dough hook attachment; follow the manufacturer's instructions
Rising
Allows the yeast to do its work. Place the kneaded dough in an oiled large mixing bowl, cover with oiled polythene to prevent the surface drying out and cracking and leave to rise until doubled in bulk. The time depends on the temperature
Rising times for basic bread dough
Warm place 45 - 60 minutes
Room temperature (18 - 21 C // 65 - 70 F) 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours
Cold room 8 -12 hours
Refrigerator 12 -24 hours
When ready, the dough should spring back if lightly pressed. If you refrigerate the dough, brush the surface with vegetable oil before covering.
Knocking
Back is the term for punching air bubbles out of the risen dough. Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead it vigorously with your knuckles for about 1 minute.
Proving
Is the word used for the second rising. Shape the dough, place it in an oiled tin, cover with oiled polythene and leave to rise until doubled in bulk. If you prove the dough in the refrigerator let it come to room temperature before baking.
Glazing
Gives a crisp crust. Brush the top of the risen dough with salted water.
Baking
the dough is put into a very hot oven (220-230C // 425-4S0F // Gas 7-8) to quickly kill the yeast and stop it raising the dough.
To test that the bread is done, turn it out of the tin and rap the underside smartly with your knuckles- it should sound hollow. If not, return the bread on its side to the oven and bake for a few minutes longer. Cool the baked bread on a wire rack before serving.
Ingredients
Strong plain flour, that is often sold as 'bread flour', is best. In an emergency, ordinary (soft) plain flour will do, but the bread will be less well risen and will have both a closer texture and a much harder crust.
Strong white flour produces soft, spongy bread; wholemeal flour gives heavier, more chewy results. For a wholesome but light loaf, use wheatmeal flour or half strong white and half wholemeal flour.
Salt flavours the bread and helps to keep it moist. Measure the salt accurately, too much produces a hard crust-and sift it with the flour so that it is evenly blended.
Yeast raises the dough. Use fresh or dried yeast, whichever is more convenient. Generally, to raise a plain bread dough made with 750 g strong flour, use 15 g fresh yeast, 1/2 tablespoon granular dried yeast, or a 7 g sachet easy-blend dried yeast.
Fat is not essential, but a small amount of lard, margarine, butter or vegetable oil will give a softer, moister texture. The fat is rubbed into the sifted flour, oil is added with the liquid.
Liquid: this is generally water, but milk or a mixture of milk and water can be used for a softer result. The liquid should be tepid or 'hand hot' (43C) hotter liquid will kill the yeast. As a guide, 450 g strong white flour will absorb 300 ml liquid; wholemeal and wheatmeal flours absorb slightly more.
Preparing Yeast
Blend fresh yeast to a smooth, thin paste with a little of the tepid liquid from the quantity given in the recipe. Granular dried yeast must be reconstituted before use: measure one-third of the tepid liquid specified in the recipe into a bowl and stir in 1/2 teaspoon sugar; sprinkle in the yeast and leave in a warm draught-free place for about 15 minutes until a frothy head has formed.
Easy-blend dried yeast needs no preparation: add it directly to the sifted flour.
Basic White Bread
Makes 1 large loaf
Ingredients
750 g strong white flour
1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt
15 g margarine or butter
7 g sachet easy-blend dried yeast
450 ml tepid water
extra flour
vegetable oil, for greasing
Method
Sift the flour and salt into a warmed large bowl. Rub in the fat, then stir in the yeast until well blended.
Pour in the tepid water and mix to a soft, slightly sticky dough which leaves the sides of the bowl cleanly. If the dough is too wet, work in a little extra flour.
Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead vigorously for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in an oiled large bowl. Cover with oiled polythene and leave to rise until doubled in bulk.
Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knock back and knead with your knuckles for 1 minute.
Oil a 1 kg loaf tin. Flatten the dough into an oblong about 38 x 23 cm fold it in 3 to make an oblong 23 x 13 cm and fold the short ends inwards. Place seam-side down in the oiled tin.
Cover the tin with oiled polythene. Leave the dough to prove until it has almost reached the top of the tin.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 230C // 450F // Gas 8.
Bake the dough in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the bread is golden and just shrinking from the sides of the tin. Turn out the bread and rap the underside with your knuckles-if cooked it should sound hollow. If not cooked return the bread, on its side, to the oven and bake a few minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack