Bread for Beginners

When I started baking bread, little did I know about baking. I started learning with whole wheat flour. And those who have worked with whole wheat flour know how silly it is to start with it. I learned by sheer persistence. However, If you want to learn baking, that too breads, its advisable to start with refined flour.

Here I am sharing a bread recipe with basic ingredients and refined flour. If you are new to baking or are a first-time baker, then start with this one. This is amazingly soft and fluffy bread. Try it and you will be never buying the ready-made one.

Bread For Beginners

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Prep Time 30 mins

Total Time 3 hrs

Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

  

• 360 g All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Active Dry Yeast
• 1 tbsp Brown Sugar or Jaggery
• 20 g Milk Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 250 ml Water
• 2 tbsp Any Neutral Oil
• 1 tbsp Mik for Milk Wash
• 1 tsp Sesame Seeds for Garnish

Instructions

 

• Take 50 ml of lukewarm water in a bowl and mix sugar or jaggery to it. Add yeast and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
• In a big bowl, take flour, salt and milk powder and give it a good mix.
• Add the yeast mixture, oil and remaining water. Stir it with a big spoon.
• Now shift the flour to the kitchen counter and start kneading it with your hands. Keep kneading it for 6-8 minutes.
• Rest the dough for the first rise in an oiled bowl. Cover it with a wet towel or cling film.
  
• Time for the first rise depends upon the temperature of your kitchen. It will take around 45 minutes to one hour if your kitchen is warm. The dough will become double in size.
• Gently deflate the dough and spread it on the kitchen counter in the shape of a rectangle.
• Roll it into a tight log of 8'.
  
• Keep it into a greased loaf pan of size 8x4x3inches. Cover it with a wet towel or a shower cap.
  
• The second rise takes lesser time. Mine took 30 minutes. The loaf will rise till the edge of the pan.
  
• Preheat the oven to 190 C for 10 minutes.
• Give the loaf a milk wash before putting it into the oven and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake it for 35 to 40 minutes at 190 C. If the bread starts browning fast, tent it with aluminium foil after half time.
• You can check if the bread is done by tapping on the top. It sounds hollow.
• Take it out of the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the loaf tin.
• Cool it on a wire rack before cutting. Store the bread in an airtight container or wrap it with cling wrap.

Notes

Kneading the dough is a must. It should be done by stretch and fold method.

Water requirement of the flour depends on the climate. In hot and humid weather lesser water is needed to make the dough. If the weather is cold and dry,you will need more water.

Baking time may vary depending upon the oven's temperature settings.

Don't cut the bread before its cooled completely.