How To Bake Bread

There has never been a better time to start baking bread. The process of making something is always a good way to be present.

500g of bread flour - I use 100g strong white and 400g brown bread flour

25g of butter

1 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1tsp fast-action dried yeast

230ml water

Seeds of your choice - poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds

How to:

1. Put the flour in a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips.

2. Add sugar salt and yeast.

3. Dust a surface with flour.

4. Mix in warm water a little at a time, you might not need all the water. Don’t worry if it’s sticky.

5. Knead it on the flour-dusted surface and just add more flour if it’s sticky.

   6. Knead for 10 minutes.

   7. Put it back in the bowl, and cover the dough with a little olive oil.

   8. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave the bread somewhere warm for it to rise for 30 minutes - 1 hour.

   9. It should double in size.

   10. Set the oven to 200C and bake for about half an hour in a baking tin with a light layer of oil to stop it sticking.

   Enjoy

   Take your bread out and let it cool on a cool shelf.

   Melt some butter on the warm bread and enjoy it.

   It’s a simple pleasure that will always beat buying a loaf in the store.