Homemade Bread

Homemade white bread, soft on the inside with a crispy crust.

INGREDIENTS

White Bread Flour 500g
Salt 10g
Yeast 10g
Water 300ml
Olive Oil 50ml

METHOD

Place the dry ingredients in a bowl, keeping the yeast and salt on opposite sides of the bowl. Stir together and make a well in the centre, then add in the olive oil and water and mix until a dough has formed.

Knead on a lightly oiled surface for about ten minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Roll the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling wrap. Keep in a warm area and allow to rise for an hour.

Once the dough has doubled in size, place on a lightly floured surface and flatten the dough into a rectangle, then roll up tightly (like a Swiss roll) and pinch the seam together. Making sure to keep the seam at the the bottom, roll two ends over and round them off. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and cover with a tea towel. Allow to rise in a warm area for an hour, until doubled in size. Lightly rub the top of the bread with water, dust with flour and make a few diagonal cuts along the top of the loaf.

Place a cake tin in the oven on the bottom shelf with some water in it and the baking tray with the bread on the middle shelf. Bake at 220°C for 25 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200°C for a further 10 minutes.