Fresh bread - you really cannot beat it

OK folks,
So I have been doing quite a bit of baking lately and have had some great results with white bread from a VERY simple recipe which is just too good not to share.

First off, you need a large mixing bowl and a cup of warm water, about 40 degrees C is good or 108 degrees F.

Into that goes 3 tablespoons of granulated white sugar and a heaped teaspoon of salt followed by half a cup of olive oil.

stir well until all the salt and sugar is dissolved and check the temperature again, you can bring it up again by holding it and stirring over a gas hob.

Sprinkle on 15 grams (1/2 oz) dried yeast and stir it in to the liquid. Put a tea towel over it and set it in a warm place for half an hour.

When you come back to it, it should be frothing up nicely, take 1 kilo ( about 2.2 lbs ) of strong plain white flour and sieve it into the bowl.

stir and mix everything together with your hands until you have a bread dough. Now you need to turn it out onto a floured surface and start kneeding it hard. if the mixturew is too dry, I like to add extra oil in drips whilst mixing. If too wet add extra flour.

Knead it for 5 minutes then place back in a clean deep bowl which has been greased with olive oil. Place a damp tea towel over the top and leave it in a warm place for 1 hour until it had doubled in size.

Take it out again and cut into 2 halves, then knead each half for 2 minutes before putting the dough into a greased bread tin. Now leave these in a warm place covered with a tea towel for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes they should have doubled in size and can go into an oven on gas mark 6, 210 Deg C, 450 Deg F for about 40 minutes or until the top starts to brown a little.

I like to put my tins directly onto an oven tray as opposed to the wire oven shelves, this way the bottom of the breade tin gets nice and hot and cooks the bread through nicely.

When you take it out, knock the loaf out of the tin and tap it on the base with your knuckles, it should sound hollow, if it does not, it needs more cooking time.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/9fc844151f5a.jpg[/atsimg]

As you can see, It is irresistible when hot
Enjoy,

PEACE,
RK

I was thinking about making meatball subs today, and some fresh mini bread loaves would be perfect, im already making everything else from scratch.

I used to have my dough down perfect yo, making pizza's, pastries, bread sticks, .... but I'm a little out of practice, the only problems Ive ever had comes from " Poofing" it. When I leave it out, it doesnt Poof enough, when I use a hot place, that hot place is usualy an oven, and even turned to the lowest it overheats the dough and kills the yeast.

I think everyone should be able to bake/cook, and not be so reliant on society. There is NOTHING like cooking fresh.

reply to post by Rigel Kent


Just a quick tip; if you mist the dough with water from a spray bottle just before placing it into the oven it will form a very nice, and slightly thicker, crust.

Augustus,
Yes right on, some folks say put a bowl of water in the oven also and this will ensure good crispy crusts, but misting works very well too.

I found that dusting the top of the dough with sieved flour is a good method of producing soft crusts.

horses for courses I guess.

Intastellaburst,
I find proofing is no problem but then the daily temp in my kitchen is about 90 degrees F. This works very well.

PEACE,
RK

Oh man, I gained 3 lbs just by looking at this thread.

Nothing better then fresh warm bread dipped in olive oil.


yummy

I have't bought a loaf of bread in 2 years. My kids won't even eat a sandwhich at my sisters house because of the store bought bread.

I love to bake. I make everything from scratch, bread, cookies, pies, pastries. You name it and I can bake it.

My sisters favorite saying is "you know you can buy that in the store, right?" And my response is "sure, but who knows whats in it?" Thats why I bake, my fully stocked "baking pantry" is filled to the gills with good, healthy organic goodies. From chocolate chips to seasme seeds its all natural all the way. I even make my own butter, jams and jellies and maramlades in the summer. Who can resist a slice of hot homemade bread right out of the oven and smothered in fresh butter and jam? Makes me hungry just thinking about.

Fresh eggs beat fresh bread any day! Plus chickens are the funniest creatures of all time.

Originally posted by BarmyBilly
Fresh eggs beat fresh bread any day! Plus chickens are the funniest creatures of all time.

But you CAN beat eggs.

this thread forced me to go tear off a big piece of fresh baked bread I bought last night.
Yes, I bought it, didn't make it. But it was still warm and crusty.