Today I am giving you my quick easy to cook bread. It is a quick bread because I only proof once where as most bread recipes will tell you to proof twice. Proofing is the process allowing your bread to rise.

.-loaf tin bread.     – roasting tin bread

• 500gms strong bread flour

• 2 dessert spoons of oil
• 300mls  warm water (luke warm so as not to kill yeast)
•  7gms (1 pkt)easy cook yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar

In a large clean bowl measure out your 500gms flour. On opposite sides of the bowl, place your salt, yeast and sugar, it is very important at this stage not to allow the yeast and the salt to touch.

Create a well in the centre of your flour, add the oil and approx 200mls of your warm water.

Bring the mixture together using your hands in a circular motion from the centre out, if the mixture stays bitty and dry add a little more of the water and keep mixing until mixture has completely come together.

Turn  mixture out onto a floured surface and start to knead until dough feels both smooth and elastic/stretchy.  (Kneading is the process in the making of bread or pasta to properly mix the ingredients and strengthen the dough).

Place kneaded bread directly into/onto the oiled loaf tin/roasting tray in which you shall cook your bread, cover loosely with lightly oiled clingfilm or a clean tea towel and leave in a warm space. Allow the bread to rise (proof) until the mixture has more than doubled in size, this usually takes 1 1/2-2 hrs.

Bake in the centre of  a hot oven 220’C, 425’F gas mark 7 for approx 35 mins in a loaf tin or 25 mins if your bread is on an open tray, if you are making the open tray method of bread and would like a rustic look, sprinkle a little flour over the top of your bread before baking. The way to check if your bread is ready is to knock the bottom of your bread, the bread should sound hollow when ready. If you need to put bread back into the oven do so without the trays for another 5 mins or so until you are happy with the final sound. Don’t over analyse as bread really does not take too long to cook and 25-35 mins is nearly always long enough.

NB, if you would like your bread fresh for first thing in the morning, do all the preparation the evening before, leaving your bread to proof over night to bake in the morning.

If you have any questions please get in touch through the comments section.

Next week 15th Feb. we shall be making soup to accompany your newly  found bread making skills. For this you shall need, white cabbage, smoked streaky bacon, pasta eg macaroni, shells etc, garlic fresh or granules and chicken stock cubes. Prep and cook time 30-35 mins. Along with your hot/cold freshly baked bread this is an easy and quick value for money evening meal for the whole family to come together and eat. Children and adults alike love pulling the bread apart, no need for finesse here.

As with all my recipes I shall let you decide on the price range of all ingredients required thus enabling you to choose from value products to deluxe, depending on both your preference and your budget.

Gluten Free: I have been asked if I can supply a gluten free equivalent, I shall be honest and say I have never tried to make gluten free bread however after a little research I believe that to the above recipe you would substitute a gluten free flour and add two teaspoons of baking powder to help the bread rise. Another ingredient often added is 1 tablespoon of xanthan gum, however the benefits of adding this ingredient is under much debate and many say trying to find it is not worth the effort. Let me know how you get on.