This White Bread recipe uses Plain Flour and Fast Active Dried Yeast. It's such an easy recipe to make if you are a beginner and want to know how to make bread for the first time.
7g(1 x sachet) of fast action dried yeast.See my note about Fast Action Dried Yeast.
1teaspoonscrushed Sea SaltTable salt is fine, but has less nutriants and will also contain anti caking agents.
25gunsalted butter cut into cubes
300mltepid tap water
Instructions
Grease a 2lb loaf tin and lightly dust with flour. Shaking off any excess flour. Leave to one side.
Place the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and sugar to one side of the bowl. The Fast Action Dried Yeast to another side taking care not to mix the salt and yeast directly together as salt can kill yeast.
Give everything a good mix.
Using your finger tips, rub in the butter until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
Gradually add the tepid water until a rough dough is formed. Ensure there are no clumps of flour left to mix. The dough will look a little rough. But don’t worry about that at this time.
Cover the bowl with a pan lid or cling film. Leave in a warm place for 30 mins to allow the dough to develop a little.
After 30 mins or so, knead the dough on a lightly floured service until you have a nice smooth finish. This can take about 5 mins.
Place the dough back in the bowl. Cover again and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size. This usually takes about an hour, depending on how warm your kitchen is. This will take longer if your kitchen is a little cooler.
When the dough has doubled in size, tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface. No kneading this time. Very gently fold over the edges of the dough to a size that will fit your prepared loaf tin. Taking care NOT to knock out any air from the dough.
Carefully place the dough into the loaf tin. Dust with flour and lightly cover with a clean cloth or cling film. Leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
About 20 mins before your loaf is ready to bake. Turn the oven on and preheat to 200 deg c. Fan assisted oven.
Score the top of the dough with a serrated knife. This will help the bread to rise a little more before the crust sets during baking.
Bake for 40 mins or until baked. The crust should be nice and lightly golden. For a more golden colour leave to bake a little longer.
Notes
Notes:
Fast Action Dried Yeast can be added straight into the dry ingredients. There’s no need to add to water first.
Invest in an oven thermemtor to ensure you reach the correct temperature.
I use a steam oven, which allows me to pour a cup of water into the bottom of the oven which creates steam allowing the bread to rise higher before a crust is formed on the outside.
If you don’t have a steam oven. The alternative is to place a suitable tray at the bottom of your oven whilst it is heating up, ready to take your cup of water. This way, instant steam is created. But take care when pouring the (cold) water into the tray.
This loaf will keep for a few days. Supermarket loaves will often keep a lot longer if they contain preservatives.
Keyword Classic Bread Recipe, Easy Bread Recipe, White Loaf