Secrets To Making The Perfect Loaf Of Bread
Bread; there’s really nothing like it. Fresh from the oven, slathered in butter and jam, stuffed with a delicious filling like ham or roast beef, or dipped in rich olive oil and tart balsamic, bread comes in so many shapes, sizes, textures and tastes that it’s almost a whole food group in its own right. However, among all the baguettes and bagels, rye bread and rolls there’s one type of bread that beats all the others hands down: home made bread. The smell of it can sell houses, the taste of it can cause you to eat an entire pack of butter in one go, and the sight of it can make even the most unruly teen slink into a seat at the breakfast table. Whilst it certainly isn’t rocket science, baking the perfect loaf of bread is not as easy as it might seem – there are some well known baker-secrets that are key to getting it right.
Get a good kneading technique – because this is the process that will encourage the gluten in your bread, and the gluten is what will make your bread light and airy. Make sure your hands are well floured to stop the dough sticking to them – if it sticks even when your hands are covered in flour then the dough itself might need more flour – and shape the lump of dough into a round-ish ball. The first kneading action to perfect is to flatten the lump of dough. Once flat, fold it towards yourself and then push the folded ball away with the heels of your hands. Repeat until your dough feels elastic and smooth (this usually takes around 5 – 10 minutes).
Make sure you give the dough time to rest – although you might be keen to get your loaf in the oven so that you can take it out again and scoff it, you must, must, must give it time to rest first. Resting the dough is also called ‘proving’ because it’s during this time that the yeast activates and the dough begins to rise. You’ll have some pretty small, squat loaves if you don’t allow some rest time.
Shape your bread before it goes in the oven – this might seem obvious but remember that whatever shape you put the loaf into the oven in will determine the shape that it comes out in once it has finished baking. It’s a good idea to try and get the bread surface as smoothly as possible as any misshapen edges will most likely swell during baking. It’s also a good idea to make a small cut down the top so the bread can rise in either direction as it bakes, rather than splitting.
Give your loaf the edge – and add something a bit special to the bread you bake at home. Whether it’s a butter brush for a really delicious, crusty, golden top, sprinkling on caraway seeds for flavour, or oats for a lovely crispness, adding sultanas for sweetness, or just a plain egg wash if you want a nice brown top, you can go wild with the creativity when you’re baking at home.
So these are the secrets to making the perfect loaf of bread every time – respect the process and give your loaf your own creative twist. Now you’ve got no excuses not to get baking!
John wrote this guest post on behalf of Russell Hobbs who provide a wide range of kitchen, cooking and home appliances including bread makers, electric kettles, toasters and irons
