Bread has graced the tables of families for centuries and provided happy memories for many generations. And what’s even better is knowing how to make this marvelously delicious staple right at home.
Luckily, baking bread is actually pretty easy, although more advanced techniques are also used to make special kinds of bread. Overall, the principles are very much the same. Here are some tips and tricks to get you own a tasty do-it-yourself loaf.
bread baking Ingredients
- 16 ounces of bread flour and a bit more for shaping.
- 1 teaspoon of instant rapid rise yeast
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 10 ounces of filtered water
- 2 quarts of hot water
- 2 tablespoons of cornmeal and vegetable oil to grease the rising container
Other optional ingredients you can also add include
- 1/3 cup of water
- 2 teaspoons of honey or sugar
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
Bread baking instructions
Mix 5 ounces of flour together with 1/4 teaspoon of yeast, bottled water and all of the honey inside a straight-sided container.
Making pre-ferment
Cover everything loosely then refrigerate for a period of 8 to 12 hours (leaving overnight is best). The yeast in the dough will leaven and add texture and flavor to our bread. The dough will absorb some of the gasses left by the yeast, leading to softer dough later on. This will also help give the bread a more “aged” flavor. The added hydration and time will form gluten strands which are essential for bread dough.
Mix and knead
Next, put the 11 ounces of flour, the rest of the yeast and all the salt into a stand mixer bowl. Add in the pre-ferment. Use the dough hook attachment to knead the mixture on low for 2 to 3 minutes until everything mixes.
When it comes to mixing dough without breaking a sweat, we love using our Kitchenaid Stand Mixer – which has a dough hook attachment for bread kneading and has the power to easily get it done. Plus, it’s a highly rated tool every baker absolutely loves having in their kitchen.
Cover the dough in the bowl using a kitchen towel and let everything rest for 20 minutes. Knead the dough on medium speed for 5 to 10 minutes or until you can slowly pull the dough into a sheet and see light pass through. Texture-wise, you want the dough to be sticky, but not so much that you can’t manage it well.
Prep for Baking
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Flatten the dough using your knuckles, then fold it into itself. Put the dough back on the counter and roll slowly between your hands.
Slash the top surface of the dough balls about 1/2 inch deep. Carefully put your dough balls into the pan and place inside the oven. Add more hot water if the pan tends to be dry. Once the bread reaches an internal temperature of about 210 degrees F, remove it and place on a cooling rack.
Let it sit for 30 minutes, then slice and eat.
