How to bake natural bread. Along with a scary bread experiment…, by Jabez_invests on YouTube. 21 min 19 s.
- Video length
- 21 min 19 s
- Time to do it
- 3 hours
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Weigh 500 g of bread flour into a large bowl. Add 7 g of dried yeast and 10 g of salt, keeping the salt and yeast apart until you mix.
Pour in about 325 ml of warm water, not hot. Stir with your hand or a spoon until the flour comes together into a rough, sticky dough.
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Push it away with the heel of your hand, fold it back and repeat until it feels smooth and springy.
Shape the dough into a ball and put it back in the bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave it in a warm spot for about 1 hour, until it has roughly doubled in size.
Knock the dough down with your knuckles to release the air. Shape it into a loaf and place it in a greased loaf tin or on a lined tray.
Cover again and leave it to rise for 45 to 60 minutes. It is ready when it springs back slowly if you press it gently with a finger.
Heat the oven to 220 C about 15 minutes before baking. Slash the top of the loaf once with a sharp knife.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the loaf is golden and sounds hollow when you tap the base. Take it out of the tin and cool it on a wire rack before slicing.
Tips and common mistakes
Use warm water around body temperature, since water that is too hot kills the yeast and the dough will not rise.
Weigh your ingredients rather than using cups, because small flour errors change how wet the dough turns out.
Let the loaf cool fully before cutting, or the inside will be gummy.
Keep the salt away from the yeast at the start, as direct contact can slow the rise.
Questions
Can I make this bread without a loaf tin?
Yes. Shape the dough into a round or oval and bake it on a lined baking tray. It will spread a little more but still bake fine.
Why did my dough not rise?
The most common causes are water that was too hot, old yeast or a cold room. Move the bowl somewhere warm and give it more time.
How do I know the loaf is fully baked?
Tap the bottom of the loaf. A hollow sound means it is done. If it sounds dull, put it back in for another 5 minutes.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
