Making bread from scratch at home

This is a blog post on how to make bread from scratch at home. I am using a hand kneed option as I don’t have a bread maker at home. I simply can’t justify buying more kitchen helpers. Here in the UK due to current unprecedented at the moment, there is still bread easily available. I have heard from my friends and family in some country bread has become a rarity to see them in the shops. All the more important reasons to know to make your own bread from scratch at home. Like all things, there is a reason we don’t make bread in modern times. But now with current unprecedented times, we are going to back to basics like growing your own food and making things as much as possible at home.

Making bread from scratch

To make bread from scratch is very easy all you need is some yeast (fast-acting yeast preferably) and flour. Simple as that. You can add a teaspoon of sugar to get the yeast going but it is not necessary.

There are some varieties of bread that don’t need yeast like sourdough bread don’t use yeast rather it uses ingredients that ferment like yogurt and grapes. I will try to make one and post it here.

Strong bread flour or high gluten flour is a must to make success full bread. Basically the higher the gluten the more it can stretch. Some bread like pizzas doesn’t require that mush stretch therefore plain flour can be used.

The key to making bread successfully is the kneading process so that the dough can stretch nicely. To proof the bread in an ideal environment (ie. temperature, covered nicely). If it doesn’t work don’t worry too much just try again and again. Another key to have is to have some extra flour on hand even if it just plain flour. So that you can adjust the bread mixture if it gets too wet. Many conditions can affect the dough. different types of measuring cups, moisture when it’s proofing.

The more bubbles you see when it’s proofed you know the effort that you have put in is working in the right order.

Thank you for dropping by and reading. Do have a look at my blog posts like making blueberry pancakes.

Making bread

How bake bread from scratch

• 7 grams fast-acting yeast (1 teaspoon)
• 1 kilo strong bread flour (plus some extra so take 950 grams to make the bread leave the rest to flour the surfaces and baking tin)
• 500-600 mls tepid luke warm water

Kneed and make the bread mixture

1. Mix 500mls of water with the yeast. Mix till it's dissolved and you see some bubbles. Then slowly add the flour mix it with a fork till you can't mix it anymore.

   Then start to use your hands to kneed the bread on a floured surface. Kneed for 20 – 30 minutes till you feel the bread mixture stretches easily when pulled.

   
   
   

Proof the bread so that it rises

1. This stage is important otherwise the bread will be very dense. Cover the bread with a cling film or clean and clear plastic bag. Leave in somewhere warm. If there is proving setting on your oven use it. Otherwise, use your oven lowest temperature setting 50 degrees but not too long constantly check. It will take an hour or more. It has to rise to nearly double the size.

   
   
   

Shape and reproof

1. Take the bread dough out and knock the air out. Shape the bread to whatever shape you like or put in in a bread tin. Proof it for half an hour.

   
   
   

Baking the bread

1. Bake the bread in oven 180 deg Celcius for 35 minutes. The bread is baked when it's knocked and sounds hollow. The bread will also rise further while baking.