Fresh made bread...

You just can't beat the smell of fresh made bread wafting around (or even just the smell of the yeast fermenting). Today saw me make a full size 800g loaf, completely from scratch - not a packet mix in sight! I have decided (for now at least) to have a go at making all of my own bread rather than buying it from a supermarket, as I am finding the costs of bread rising sharply. Not to mention the invaluable experience I can get from regularly handling bread dough and experimenting with different types and styles.

Today's was a wholemeal, normal 800g loaf. I really need to get hold of a smaller loaf tin to make 400g loaves to fit in better with my diet, but I can work with this for now...

 

 

 

I chose to use dried active yeast rather than fast action as from what I've read about the different types of yeast available, the dried active does a better job than the fast action.

I started off by sifting the flour and salt together whilst starting the yeast off in some tepid water (2 parts cold to one part boiling) which had 1 tsp of sugar dissolved into it, and leaving it in a warm place to get working for 10-15 mins.

 

Once the yeast was reactivated (had a nice frothy head to it) I mixed it into the flour and kneaded the dough for a good 10 minutes (very good upper body workout!).

I left the dough, covered, in a warm place to rise (until it has doubled in size is a good guide, though I left it a while longer as I like a slow rise on my bread to develop the flavour).

 

Next came my favourite part - knocking back - I don't know why I love that part SO much, I think it's just a childlike glee when I knock the dough and it deflates like a balloon. I then kneaded the dough for around another 5 minutes and left it to rise again. This time I left it for around 45 minutes.

After the second rise I placed the dough, after another very quick knead into a well greased loaf tin (I used some 1 cal cooking spray to keep fat intake down) and popped it into a pre heated oven at 180 degrees for around 35 minutes, until it had a nice light golden colour on top and I tapped it underneath and it sounded hollow.

 

 

Et voilà!! One finished, lovely smelling and looking homemade wholemeal loaf - made by me! I have to say, I'm really pleased with the way the loaf turned out, I definitely recommend using the Dried active over fast action yeast any day (unless using a bread maker as Dried active is not recommended for them).

 

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