Basic White Bread

Basic White Bread

A Happy Wednesday shout out to you :)

I cannot believe that it is Wednesday! This time next week I will be back in Kuala Lumpur. Obviously I have not packed. I am really excited about my trip and have planned catch up sessions with friends and family already. Strangely enough, I have not planned what I would like to eat yet. It has to be mama's cooking first up right?

Friends often ask me what is a good recipe to try for bread. I guess for a first try, you can't go wrong with a basic everyday white bread. It is so easy to make and so versatile. I shaped mine into an easy round cob but you can easily adapt it to make rolls or plaits. I also used milk in this recipe as I find that it makes a very soft and light texture. Equally good eaten as toast or slightly warm to mop up a rich beef stew.

Recipe for Basic White Bread

Prep Time 2 hours 20 minutes / Baking Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

450gm Strong White Flour

300ml Milk (lukewarm)

7gm yeast

1tsp Salt

20gm Butter

Method

1. Place the Flour in a bowl, add the Salt to one side of the bowl and the Yeast to the other. Rub the Butter into the Flour then start adding the Milk and mixing the ingredients to form a dough.

2. Turn the rough dough onto a lightly floured surface and start kneading for about 10-15 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

3. Place in a clean bowl and cover the bowl with cling film or a tea towel. Leave to rise for an hour or until at least doubled in size.

4. After an hour, turn the risen dough onto the work surface and knock the air out. Shape into a cob. Place the cob onto a baking tray and place the tray into a large plastic bag to rise for an hour. 

5. Heat your oven to 220 Celsius and bake for 30 minutes. The base of the loaf should sound hollow when you tap it.