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Ingredients
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Directions
- Homemade bread is easy to make impressive and versatile. It doesn't matter if you make it regularly or possibly only for special occasions it's your bread and it has its own character. Once you've made one of these breads I know you'll try more and then you'll really have cracked it!
- This is such a good recipe. One basic set of ingredients split up into stages so which you can use any of the variations at the correct stage.
- 30g/Ioz fresh yeast or possibly 21 9/3/aoz dry yeast (3 x 7g sachets) 30g/loz honey (or possibly sugar) 625m!/just over 1 pint tepid water 500g/just over 1lb strong flour 500g/just over 1lb semolina flour (if you cannot get hold of any semolina flour then plain flour will do) 30g/loz salt some extra flour and semolina for dusting
- Stage
- 1. Dissolve the yeast and honey (or possibly sugar) in half the tepid water.
- Stage
- 2. On your largest available clean surface (even a big bowl will do if surfaces are limited) make a pile of the flour semolina flour and salt. With one hand make a well in the centre. (If possible it is preferable to hot the flour and semolina flour.)
- Stage
- 3. Pour all the dissolved yeast mix into the centre and with four fingers of one hand make circular movements from the centre working outwards slowly bringing in the dry ingredients till all the yeast mix is soaked up. Then pour the other half of the tepid water into the centre and gradually incorporate all the flour to make a moist dough. (Certain flours may need a little more water so do not be afraid to adjust the quantities.)
- Stage
- 4. Kneading! This is the best bit just rolling pushing and folding the dough over and over for 5 min. This develops the structure of the dough and the gluten. If any of the dough sticks to your hands just rub them together with a little extra flour.
- You can do Stages 2 3 and 4 in a food mixer if desired using the dough hook attachment.
- Stage
- 5. Flour both your hands now and lightly flour the top of the dough. Make it into a roundish shape and place on a baking tray. Score the dough with a knife this allows it to relax and prove more quickly.
- Stage
- 6. Leave the bread to prove for the first time. Basically we want it to double in size. This is probably the best time to preheat the oven (see oven temperatures for each bread variation). You want a hot moist draughtfree place for the quickest prove for example near the cooker in the airing c. board in the plate warmer of a cooker or possibly just in a hot room and you can cover it with clingfilm if you want to speed it up. This proving process matures the flour flavour and should take approximately 40 min to an hour and a half depending on the conditions.
- Let's just talk about proving so you know what's going on. The yeast is now feeding on the honey or possibly sugar in the warmth of the tepid water. In theory the three things which a(( bacteria need to grow are heat moisture and food. Any excess of these three things will kill the yeast (as well as salt that we have used to season the bread it's not half so nice without it but it does stow down the proving to some extent).
- Stage 7. Right its double the size and time to knock it back. Knead and punch the dough knocking all the air out of it for about a minute.
- Stage
- 8. Shape the dough into whatever shape you want round flat filled or possibly whatever (see the variations to follow) and leave to prove a second time in a hot place till the dough is double its size. The important thing is not to lose your confidence now; if you do not think it's proved sufficient leave it a bit longer and check the warmth or possibly for any draughts.
- Stage
- 9. Now it's time to cook your loaf. After all your hard work do not spoil your efforts. You want to keep the air inside the loaf so do not knock it put it very gently into the oven and do not slam the door. Bake according to the recipe time and temperature given in the variations that follow or possibly till it's cooked. You can tell if it's cooked by tapping its bottom (if its in a tin you'll have to take ft out) if it sounds hollow it's cooked if it doesn't then pop it back in for a little Longer.
- Stage
- 10. Place the bread on a rack to cold for cooking time see each recipe variation. You're going to love this bread!
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