Basic White Bread

This recipe I adopted from Uma’s blog . First time I am baking bread. I was so happy when it turned out well. My kids loved it and it was vanished soon. Uma has explained so well by step by step pictures that we won’t go wrong at all. The below recipe consists the actual quantity, as it was the first time I was going to bake bread I reduced the quantity to half, you can get the recipe with step by step direction here. As I took half the quantity, I got small sized bread. But it was really soft and tasty.

Ingredients

Maida/ All-purpose Flour: 2 cups + for dusting

Warm Water: ½ cup (extra, if needed)

Active dry yeast: 7g

Sugar: 2tsp

Olive oil/ butter: 1tbsp + extra for greasing

Salt: needed

Method of Preparation

In a small bowl, add yeast, warm water and sugar. Wait for 5-8minutes. So that it would be foamy.

In a bowl add maida and salt. Make a well in the middle and add olive oil/butter.

Mix with hand well, so that it resembles bread crumbs.

Add the yeast mix to the flour and knead well to make it soft dough. You can add extra warm water if required.

Knead to about 10 minutes by pushing the front of the dough away with the heel of your hand while holding the dough with the other hand.

Then fold back the stretched part to the position.

Knead in the same way well till you get smooth dough.

After getting the dough into smooth and elastic, coat oil on the dough.

Keep in a greased bowl, covered with a damp cloth for about 1-2 hours or till the size of the dough doubles.

After the dough rises, remove the covered damp cloth and punch it back using your fist so as to remove the air inside and transfer the dough to a floured or greased surface.

Knead again to 2-3 minutes and again wait for 10minutes. Cover the dough with damp cloth.

Preheat the oven to 200deg C.

Shape the dough into oval and place into the loaf tray. Cover with a damp cloth and wait for another half an hour.

Slightly touch the dough with the finger. It should be soft and spring back slowly. Then the dough is ready for baking.

Brush the top of the dough with milk/butter.

Bake it for 30-40 minutes or until the bread is done.

Take out the bread from the tray immediately after done and cool on a wire rack.

Serve with your desired jam.

Tips:

1.     The dough rising time varies according the temperature of the room where the dough is kept.

2.     Use tray with ice cubes or water to provide steaming for breads to get the outer brown crust smooth.

3.     Make sure not to over prove the dough or else the bread will deflate.

4.     For the step by step details with images click here