Freshly baked bread is one of life's simple pleasures. Doing this is much easier than you think. You can try making a crunchy Frenchie, soft loaves, or sweet rolls that will save you money and flood your home with the good smell of freshly cooked bread. Everyone can learn how to make bread with some instruction and the right ingredients.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: French Bread
Step 1. Prepare all the ingredients
For the classic French bread you need:
- 900 g of white flour 0.
- 5 g of salt.
- 480 ml of hot water.
- 15 g (or a sachet) of active dry yeast.
Step 2. Activate the yeast
In a small bowl or cup, mix the yeast with 60 ml of water (approximately) at a temperature of 37-43 ° C. The water must be hot to the touch but not boiling. If the temperature is too high, the heat will kill the yeast, if it is too low the yeast will remain inert and the bread will not rise. You should be able to keep a finger in the water without feeling discomfort.
- After a couple of minutes, the mixture should begin to thicken, foam on the surface and smell like beer. If it bubbles and thickens, then the yeast is active and ready to use.
- If you are using fresh or self-activating yeast, you don't need to do these steps. Go directly to the next step.
Step 3. In a large bowl add the salt to the flour, stir to mix the mixture
The container must be large enough to contain the flour and water and allow you to mix the ingredients with a sturdy wooden spoon. Once the dry ingredients are mixed, you can add the yeast if you are using the fresh one, or the frothy mixture. Mix it carefully.
Alternatively, you can use an electric blender or a planetary mixer to which you have mounted the hook. However, the blending step is only part of the process of making French bread, so you can just do the work by hand. It is not worth using an appliance, also because your hands will have to get dirty with dough sooner or later
Step 4. Add the water and mix to incorporate it
Pour it slowly with one hand while mixing the flour with the wooden spoon with the other. Your goal is to shape the initial dough and create a malleable mass, so don't stop moving the spoon. It would be of great help to have someone add water as you mix or mix while you add water.
- The amount of water needed is quite variable (in humid climates you need less), but with practice you will be able to regulate yourself. Add it slowly while mixing, checking the consistency of the dough. When you notice that it starts to become a mass, you stop the flow of water.
- Now move on to knead the dough with your hands after having floured them a little. Try to incorporate all the wet fragments of mixture that you find inside the bowl into the ball of dough before transferring the mass to a work surface.
Step 5. Put the dough on a well floured surface
Let it sit for about five minutes (at least). At this stage, gluten bundles begin to form, giving the bread its typical consistency. These bundles form regardless of whether you knead the mass or not, so let it sit, this way the next job will be easier.
In the meantime, you can thoroughly clean the bowl you used before reusing it for leavening
Step 6. Knead the mass
This initial step is essential for the preparation of bread. You need to work it steadily and firmly for at least 5-10 minutes or until it has a smooth consistency. The surface of the dough must become uniform, non-sticky and without lumps. If you have the impression that craters are forming, continue to knead adding flour if necessary.
- It takes some practice to learn the right movements, but we can say that they are very similar to the advice of the master Miagi from "Karate Kid": "Remove the wax, put the wax". You have to push your hands firmly into the dough in the opposite direction to the one you are in, and then fold it back on itself. Do not be afraid to put a lot of force into it, if during the movement you touch the surface of the dough with your hands, push forward and then roll the mass on itself.
- The hands must be well floured, as well as the work surface, so the mass will not stick. If you feel it is too moist, try to incorporate more flour and proceed with processing.
Step 7. Wait for the dough to rise for about 3 hours
Return it to the clean (or at least rinsed) bowl and cover it with cling film or a tea towel. Place the container in a warm but not hot place, the ideal leavening temperature is 21-23 ° C.
If your home is cold or winter, you can put the mass in the oven off or with only the pilot light on
Step 8. Work the dough again, beat it vehemently on the work surface, turn it over and give it shape
You don't have to knead the mass as much as before rising. Rotate it a couple of times on the work surface and put it back in the bowl for the second leavening. Basically you have to give it back its initial shape, it won't take long, and by doing so you will get a much smoother, softer and more malleable dough.
Step 9. Let the dough rest for about 90 minutes
In this time the second leavening will take place. There are many opinions regarding the need for a second leavening; several bakers do not put it in place and form loaves immediately after the first one, then letting them rest before being baked; others prefer a total of three leavenings to obtain a better consistency. French bread is characterized by an external crust and an airy and light interior that is obtained thanks to the bubbles generated by the yeast. If you want to make "real" French bread, you will need to let the dough rise two or three times. If, on the other hand, you want the kitchen to be soon invaded by a scent of hot bread, skip this phase, you will still get an excellent result.
Step 10. Give the dough the shape you prefer
Take it out of the bowl and cut it into sandwiches, loaves, baguettes or loaves.
- To prepare boules cut the dough in half and shape each piece like two balls. Place them on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover them and let them rest.
- To prepare the baguettes cut the dough into 4 equal parts and roll them over a floured surface to obtain the classic thin and elongated shape. You will have to roll them up for a while before giving the typical appearance, so continue to work each piece from the center outwards trying to create a homogeneous shape.
- To prepare batards cut the dough into 4-6 portions and give them the shape of squat and square baguettes. There is no precise and perfect shape, the flavor will still be excellent.
Step 11. Let the rolls rest, rising, for 45 minutes
After placing them on top of the baking sheet that you will use to bake them, cover them with a tea towel and let them increase in volume.
It is customary to cut the surface of the loaves with an X or another pattern before baking them. Make small cuts, about 1.5 cm deep and well spaced apart. This allows the dough to swell during cooking
Step 12. Bake the bread at 205 ° C for about 30 minutes or until a golden crust forms
The bread is ready when the outside is brownish, the base is hard and emits a "hollow" sound when tapped with the fingers.
Step 13. Treat the bread crust with steam
This is the secret to a perfect surface of your loaves. Use a spray bottle to periodically moisten the bread as it bakes, or wet the inside of the oven to create a damp mist. This gives the bread the classic crunchy crust of French bread.
Alternatively, you can put a pan with water in the oven, on the lower shelf than the bread, to allow the steam to surround it during cooking. Experiment to find the method that best suits your needs
Method 2 of 4: Loaf Bread
Step 1. Prepare the ingredients
The process for this type of bread is very similar to that for French bread, but you will need a couple of extra ingredients to get the classic sweet and soft texture. In this section of the article, many variations will be provided, but in principle to prepare sandwich bread you will need:
- 900 g of flour 0 (white or wholemeal)
- 240 ml of water
- 240 ml of milk
- 30 g of butter
- 30 g of sugar or honey
- 15 g of salt
- Extra virgin olive oil (optional)
- 1 beaten egg (optional)
Step 2. Activate the yeast
Put it in a bowl or that of the planetary mixer and cover it with 240 ml of hot water (37-43 ° C). Wait for it to activate.
Step 3. Heat the milk in a saucepan
Use a high heat and bring the milk almost to a boil. Then remove it from the stove adding the butter and sugar. Mix thoroughly. You don't have to burn the milk, so be careful not to let it boil and overflow, as it tends to foam very quickly. Check it constantly and take it off the heat as soon as it starts smoking. Before adding it to the yeast, wait for it to cool.
Alternatively, heat the milk in the microwave and add the butter and sugar when hot
Step 4. Add 130g of flour to the liquid ingredient mixture
Run the mixer for about 2 minutes at medium speed. But as the dough begins to form, continue to add flour a little at a time. When it has all been incorporated, increase the planetary mixer to maximum speed for 2 minutes.
The amount of flour depends on the ambient humidity, so you will have to evaluate it at the moment. Wholemeal flour is rather difficult to use, less than the 900 g indicated here may be enough to form the dough. If you're just starting out, it's worth using a 50% blend of wholemeal and white flour to gain confidence
Step 5. Transfer the dough to a surface and start kneading it
Press any residue that has remained stuck in the container into the mass of dough and then place it on the floured work surface. You will need to knead by hand until the consistency is smooth, soft and elastic.
Alternatively, continue to use the planetary mixer with the hook accessory. It will be much simpler. Work the mass for about 10 minutes to form the gluten bundles which give the bread its soft texture
Step 6. Cover the dough with olive oil and put it back in a greased bowl
This prevents the surface from drying out and cracking during rising. A dry mass forms unpleasant lumps in the bread. Protect everything with a clean cloth and store the container in a warm but not hot place.
Let the mass rest for at least 90 minutes. In this period it doubles in volume or in any case rises significantly (if you have not exaggerated with wholemeal flour)
Step 7. Knead the dough again
Press it with your fists and crush it until it returns to its initial size. You don't need to re-knead it like you did before, as it should already be soft and supple. Divide it into two equal portions with the help of a knife or a pastry cutter to form the loaves.
Step 8. Roll up the two loaves and place them in two greased baking sheets (similar to those for the plumcake)
Work the two loaves on your work surface by rolling and flattening them to give them the shape of two large rectangles. Then fold them back on themselves, towards the center and pinch them to seal the flaps. By doing this you form the base of the loaf.
Transfer the portions of dough to the greased baking sheets and cover them with a cloth to let them rise for another 30-45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven and clean the work surface
Step 9. Bake the bread at 200 ° C for 35 minutes or until golden brown
First, however, make cuts on the dough (3-4) about 1.5 cm deep and wet the surface with oil or a beaten egg. All this contributes to the formation of a crispy crust.
The bread is baked when the base of the loaf is hard and makes a "hollow" sound when you tap it with your fingers. If you are not sure if it is cooked, remove it from the pan and tap it a couple of times but be careful, because it is hot
Method 3 of 4: Quick Prep Bread Types
Step 1. Make beer bread
There is nothing better and simpler than a warm, dense and perfectly leavened bread with beer without having to go through all the leavening stages. Mix 420 g of white flour with 60 g of sugar and 360 ml of beer. Transfer the batter to a greased pan and bake at 190 ° C for 45-50 minutes. It is impossible to go wrong and you will get delicious bread to go with your dinner.
Step 2. Try baking soda bread
This type of bread can be sweet or savory, depending on the ingredients you have available. First of all combine the dry ingredients together: 520 g of flour with 5 g of baking soda and the same amount of salt, incorporate 1 tablespoon of sugar (4 if you want a sweet bread). In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients; 480 ml of milk or buttermilk and 4 tablespoons of melted butter. At this point, combine everything and knead with your hands. Bake at 190 ° C for one hour.
Lemon or orange peel, candied fruit or nuts are often added. Serve it plain or with jam
Step 3. Try new recipes
These types of bread are excellent "empty refrigerator" because they allow you to reuse many ingredients and leftovers. Prepare one when you need more pantry space! Here are some tips:
- Zucchini bread.
- Pumpkin bread.
- Banana bread.
- Corn bread.
Method 4 of 4: Other Types of Bread
Step 1. Make garlic bread
Garlic bread is perfect for dinner and can be made with many types of bread.
Step 2. Do the challah
This delicious, rich Jewish bread is a little reminiscent of a brioche but is slightly sweeter. It looks great with butter or other toppings.
Step 3. Make fruit bread
These recipes give you a way to express your creativity, making the bread really greedy. You could make banana, apple, papaya, and even mango bread.
Step 4. Make a cinnamon roll.
It is a real delicacy, which many love to enjoy in winter; it is easy to prepare and very tasty.
Step 5. Make vegetable bread
Any bread with vegetables is delicious and healthy. Try the pumpkin, corn or zucchini one.
Step 6. Make the croissants.
These buttery, puffy French pastries aren't quick to make, but they're irresistible. You will devour them!
Step 7. Prepare the cookies.
With this recipe you will create delicious buttery and fragrant cookies.
Step 8. Make French bread
Ah, a crunchy baguette with fresh butter … is there anything better? The freshly baked French bread is magnificent; once you start doing it at home, you won't stop!
Advice
- The liquid you use will change the flavor of the bread. Milk and lard are used for white bread. Water and olive oil make the bread more rustic. You can use white or wholemeal flour, or a mix of both (which is recommended, as wholemeal flour alone is too heavy); you can also use others, such as bran flour, flax seeds, herbs … Once you have acquired the practice, you can do all the combinations you want!
- Sandwiches: a dozen sandwiches usually come out of the doses for one loaf. Arrange them on a buttered baking sheet spaced a few centimeters from each other, otherwise they will touch each other when they rise the second time.
- "Bread machine specific flour" has a high concentration of protein and helps the yeast produce more gluten, so it is ideal if you intend to use this appliance. To make bread with a very hard crust, use strong flour and don't use a loaf pan.
- You can slightly heat the oven by turning it on low for 5-10 minutes. Other options are to put the covered dough on a heater set at minimum, or in the heat of the sun, especially if you used a dark cloth to cover it.
- Optionally, you can brush the loaf with milk for a soft finish, or with egg for a shiny crust. If you want to add seeds or anything, this is the time. For example poppy seeds, oats or sesame seeds are good.
- Make sure you have the right ingredients. The flour for cakes and pastry is too soft and will give you chewy bread. It also avoids self-raising ones. A 0 flour is fine, but the manitoba or strong one is the best because of its high gluten content which is activated during the kneading phase.
- To knead, hold the mass in front of you, push with the palms of your hands as if to want to push it away. Go back with your hands and repeat. Never remove your right hand from the dough, grab one end and fold it back on itself by turning it to the left by ¼ of a turn. Now work it with your palms again. In practice, this movement allows you to work all the dough by turning it.
