Baking has always been a topic of weakness to me. I just need a silly reason to pre heat my oven. Be it a cake, brownies, cookies or just breads, my oven is always in a ready mode. So, this time, the oven was ready to bake sandwich bread. Here, I share an easy and a full proof recipe for all newbie in the culinary world. The bread basket contains variety of breads and this recipe is the basic start up for all the related bread recipes.
Preparation Time: 10 min
Baking Time: 40 min
Proofing Time: 2 hours (1st proof) + 45 minutes (2nd proof)
Serving: 9 * 5 inch loaf
Ingredients
3 ½ cups All purpose flour
½ cup Milk Powder
1 tsp Dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp Butter or oil
1 tbsp milk (for final wash)
Procedure
The first and foremost step is to prepare the yeast mixture. For this, we need a bowl of lukewarm water. To activate the yeast, we need to give some food to it and so we add sugar as the activating agent. Finally, add yeast and give a stir to the mixture. Keep aside for 10-15 minutes for the froth to develop.
Once the froth has developed, add oil to this mixture. In a large bowl, add in the all purpose flour, milk powder and salt. Mix them well. Now, add in the liquid yeast oil mixture and knead the dough. It would be very messy and sticky dough. It might even be difficult to manage but….. Don’t worry. You are on a right track. Dust some flour over the kitchen counter and place the dough. Start to knead slowly with your palm. As you keep kneading the dough, it will turn into a soft and easy to handle dough. Knead it for around 10-12 minutes till the dough is soft and fluffy. Oil the dough from all over and cover it with a cling film. Keep aside for its first proofing.
Once the dough has risen to double, give a punch. Dust some flour on the counter again. Knead the dough again and flatten it. Start to roll like a log and pinch the edges. Grease the loaf tin and place the rolled dough in the tin. Cover it again with a cling film and let it rise for around 45 minutes.
During the last 10 minutes of proofing, pre heat the oven at 180 °C. After the second proofing, give the loaf top a milk wash. This will help to give a nice color to the bread top. You can also give an egg wash instead of milk. Place the loaf tin in the oven and bake it for 40 minutes.
Once the bread is ready, remove from oven and let it cool for 15-20 minutes before demoulding it.
Slice and enjoy your soft and fluffy bread slices.
The joy of taste and sensation at a place where creativity has no boundaries 