Making bread

Making bread is one of the most satisfying things that you can do. It takes time and effort but the end product is well worth waiting for. And the more you make the better you get and the better you get the more you want to make. So start with the very basic bread recipe, a milk loaf.

You will need.

450g/1ld strong plane flour
1 tsp salt
290ml/½ pint milk
15g/½oz butter
15g/½oz fresh yeast
1 tsp sugar

Take your milk and heat this with the butter on the stove once it is warm and the butter has melted then remove it from the heat. You want the milk to be at about 25° to 30°.

Once the milk has cool down take a little of it and add that to the yeast. Just crumble the yeast pour the milk and pour the milk over it. Then add the sugar to that, the yeast will feed of the sugar and in a little while you will see it frothing up.

Now sift your flour and salt in to a large mixing bowl. If you have a food mixer then use that with the dough hook on it. Crack the egg in the rest of the milk and whisk it in to the butter milk mix. Then add every thing in to the mixing bowl.

If you have a machine start it up and mix till you see that is has formed a nice dough. If you are having to do it by hand start by using use your fingers to bring the dry ingredients on the wet ones. Then bring thing together by lifting in and mixing the dough. Then start to knead the bread, take it out of the bowl and really start to work it. Do his for about ten to fifteen minutes till you have a smooth and very elastic dough that should be smooth and soft.

Now cover this and leave in a warm place till it has doubles in size. Then take this and work in to the shapes that you want for your loaf and leave once more to stand. Just cover or spray every now and then with a little water. It will have to stand for about another fifteen minutes. And it will rise once more.

After that you are ready to bake. If you like you can glaze your bread with a little egg water and some salt mixed in to the glaze. This gives it a wonderful shine.

Then place in to the oven set at 200°C or 400°F, make sure that you oven is hot before you bake your bread , and bake for about twenty five minutes .

When the bread is ready just tap in on the base and see if it has a hollow sound to it and you are about ready. Then take it out of the oven and allow to cool on a rack.

While it is still warm get some butter and cut a slice and eat it still warm. Nothing tastes like fresh bread, especially if you have just made it.