Tasty Everyday Bread Recipe

By Adrian

Makes 3 x 2lb Loaves

1.15KG Wessex Mill Bread Flour

I mostly use 500g white, 500g wholemeal and 150g rye flour. But you can use just white or wholemeal on their own.

Or substitute the Wholemeal for Malted flour, and if you fancy it throw in a few extra seeds.

730 -740ml Water at room temperature, maybe a little more or less depending on the type of flour.

Put the flour into a bowl and add 17g of sea salt on one side and two 7g packs of “easy bake” yeast on the other and mix together.

Add 35gms of room temperature unsalted butter (cubed) and rub in as if making a crumble mix.

Add most of the water.

Mix with a dough hook in the mixer slowly then  add 35mm olive oil and the rest of the water, increase the speed to “2” for 5 to 7 mins.

Then lightly flour the surface of your worktop, put the dough in the middle and work around the dough (like the hours on a clock) pinching between finger and thumb, pulling out and folding back into the middle.  When all the way around, flip the dough over and with your hands on the worktop palms up and form the dough into a tight ball (this increases the surface tension).

Place back in the bowl, cover with a tea towel (or a shower cap) and leave for about 45 minutes to hour until it has at least doubled in size. (depending on temperature)

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured or oiled surface, split into three, (each will be approximately 670g) then again as if the dough was a clock face, pull out and fold to the centre a portion of the dough, work around the dough repeating this, flip the dough over and shape roughly then put into a lightly buttered bread tin pushing down to level out.

Put the tins on a tray, put the tray inside a bin-liner and tuck under the tray to form a tent or alternatively under a slightly damp tea towel and leave for an hour. Take off the bin-liner/ tea towel, lightly dust with flour (or egg wash) then slash the top lengthways with a sharp blade/knife and put into a pre-heated oven (220 fan) for approximately 35mins.

Throw a few ice cubes in a tray at the bottom of the oven when you pop the bread in. (helps with the crust)

(pre heating the oven to a higher temperature, then turning down to 220 after 5 minutes will also help with the crust)

When the bake is finished, remove the loaves from the tins and put back in the oven (oven off) and leave the oven door slightly open for 5 mins or so, also helps with the crust.

If you do not have a stand mixer, then simply knead by hand for at least 10minutes (takes effort, but it will be worth it!)

DO NOT be tempted to add flour at any stage, have faith! it will come together.

If you do have a stand mixer, please check the capacity. If this amount of flour is too much for your mixer, then reduce everything by 1/3.

Good Luck

Adrian

Note:- you can delay proving by putting the dough in the fridge overnight if necessary, In the morning, turn out onto the work surface and shape into loaves as above.