Our favourite bread recipe

Sarah has used all sorts of recipes to make bread but this one is the most reliable and our current favourite. It originates from Jamie Oliver and varies dependent on the type of flour used (whole meal, plain or seeded) and whether or not we have any beer to add in. 

 Foodstuff you will need:

 

• 30g fresh yeast/ 21g dried.
• 30g honey (I even use honey with dried yeast although it is apparently not necessary).
• 625ml tepid water or warm beer
• 500g strong flour
• 500g other flour - semolina, plain etc.
• 30g salt
• Extra flour/ semolina for dusting.
• Make sure all ingredients and the kitchen are warm.

Equipment:

• Bowl to dissolve yeast
• Big bowl for dough
• Baking tray (s)
• Large worksurface
• Loaf tins (s)
• Wire rack

 How to throw it together

1. Dissolve yeast, honey and half the warm water. Leave for 10 mins to ferment.

2. Make a pile of both flours and salt on a workbench or in a big bowl. Mix them together and make a well in the centre.

3. Pour all the yeast mixture into the well and with 4 fingers of one hand make circular movements from the centre working outwards - gradually mixing all the wet and dry ingredients together.

Pour the remains of the tepid water into the mixture and gradually incorporate. Some flours need more water to make a moist dough.

4. Knead - roll, push, fold over and over for at least 8 mins.

5. Flour both your hands and lightly flour the top of the dough. Make it into a roundish shape and place in a bowl or on a baking tray. Score (i.e. 2 slashes across the top - 1cm deep) the dough with a knife as this allows it to relax and prove more quickly.

6. Leave the bread to prove for 1.5 to 2 hours. The place you leave it must be warm, moist, draught-free. I usually put a tea towel over the top to protect the dough further (but not resting on the dough).

7. Wait for it to double in size. Knead and punch the dough. Knock all the air out of it for a few minutes..

8. Shape the dough - I often make 3 loaves out of the amounts provided in this recipe. So i cut the dough into 3 and then shape each chunk. Place the shaped dough (each loaf) on a baking tray or in a loaf tin - and leave to prove a second time. Again loaf should double in size but this time it should be quicker (may be an hour). Switch the oven on.

9. Now cook your loaf - put the oven as high as poss (250 degrees C for most ovens). When the temperature is reached, I place a tray of water in the bottom of the oven. Then I put the loaves in and I squirt water on their tops, to make them crusty. This all has to be done quickly otherwise the temperature of the oven will drop. Turn the oven down to 225 degrees C. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Check the bread is cooked by tapping its bottom. It should sound hollow.

10. Place the bread on a rack to cool. It should smell divine, but leave to cool for at least 45 minutes.

Variations 

Beer bread 

Substitute tepid water for warm beer. Makes the bread malty and even more delicious.

Foccacia 

Roughly chop 1 clove of garlic and a good handful of basil and immerse in olive oil. Add a squeeze of lemon, some salt and pepper.

At stage 8, just before leaving the dough to prove for the second time divide into quarters/ halves and roll or push it into an oval shape. 

Smear the basil mix on the top and stick your fingers deep into the dough many times.  

This should only need 15 mins in the oven and when you take it out pour olive oil over the top plus sprinkle with salt. 

Can be eaten as soon as it has cooled.