If you find the prospect of bread making baffling (and possibly even a little intimidating), yet are lured by the seeming glory of those kneading their way through quarantine on social media, it’s time to dust off your apron with these simple bakes.
The easy crusty loaf
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Dubbed the world’s easiest bread, this no-knead crusty number can be made with just 4 simple ingredients, literally takes just 5 minutes of prep time with an overnight rise. Then you shape it and bake it into a crusty ball of comforting delight. Et voila!
What you will need
3 cups + 2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 cups water cool
What to do
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and yeast
2. Add the water and mix until a messy mixture forms
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 – 18 hours. Overnight works great. DO NOT REFRIGERATE!
4. Heat your oven to 450˚F. When the oven has reached the temperature place a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes
5. Meanwhile, pour your dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it to set while the pot is heating in the oven
6. Remove hot pot from the oven and drop in the dough
7. Cover the pot and return to oven for 30 minutes
8. After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes then remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool
The quick ‘cakey’ bread
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A super versatile batter that can be used in so many bread concoctions from banana bread to a French bake adorned with bacon bits and herbs, this is erring more on the ‘cake’ end of the bread spectrum. Simply mix up your dry ingredients with your wet ingredients and dd any extra bits that you want (savory or sweet) in any way you like. The possibilities are endless and gloatingly gratifying.
What you will need
½ cup (125 ml) warm milk
2 tsp dry yeast
1 tbsp caster sugar
3½ cups (525 g) bread flour
1½ tsp salt
60g butter, cut into 1 cm dice
2 eggs, beaten
What to do
1. Combine the milk, yeast, and sugar with ½ cup (125ml) warm water in a jug. Set aside until foamy for about 5 minutes then in a large bowl combine flour and salt. Add your butter and rub it in using your fingertips until the mixture forms crumbs. Add milk mixture and the 2 beaten eggs and keep mixing until the dough comes together.
2. Move the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Form it into a ball, place in a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
3. Meanwhile, make the cheese filling by combing the cooled butter with the garlic, mustard, thyme, chives, and cheese and stir until well blended.
4. Grease and flour a 10cm x 20cm loaf tin.
5. Using your hands, stretch the dough as long as your tin. Top with your filling (cheese or chocolate chips, up to you!).
6. Cut the dough into six even strips. Stack the strips on top of each other; you will end up with a stack of 6 layers. With the stack placed horizontally on a board, cut into 6 even pieces then carefully place each stacked piece cut side up in the loaf tin, repeating with remaining stacks to fill the loaf tin. Cover with a tea towel and set aside to prove for 1 hour or until well risen.
7. Preheat oven to 350˚Fthen bake for 40 minutes or until golden (or a top tip – until it sounds hollow when tapped on the top)
8. Cool on a cooling rack
The focaccia
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The name may be fancy, but the method is not. Go to work with plain flour, lashings of olive oil, some flaky salt and you will end up with a bake that not only looks the part but tastes divine too.
What you will need
4 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2¼ tsp instant yeast (1 of those little packets basically)
2 cups warm tap water
1 tsp soft butter for greasing pan
4 tbsp olive oil divided
Italian seasoning or finely chopped fresh herbs
Flaky sea salt
What to do
1. In a large bowl combine your flour, salt, and instant yeast and still it all together well. Add the warm water then mix vigorously until all of the flour is well incorporated (there should be no small pockets of flour). Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12-24 hours
2. Lightly butter two 9-inch cake pans. Line the pans with parchment paper then pour one tablespoon of olive oil into the center of each pan. Divide your dough in half and place one piece in each pan, turning it to coat it with the oil. Tuck the edges of the dough underneath to form a rough ball
3. Cover each pan tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough balls to rest for 2-4 hours
4. Preheat oven to 450˚F and have your rack positioned in the center of the oven
5. Drizzle another tablespoon of oil over each round of dough then with oiled fingers, using both hands, press straight down and create deep dimples that go all the way through the dough making deep holes in it.
6. Sprinkle the top with your seasoning or herbs and flaky sea salt
7. Transfer the pans to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 425˚F then bake for 25 minutes, until the tops are golden and the undersides are crisp
8. Remove, allow to cool and serve warm
The flatbread
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A soft, slightly leavened bread that is beloved in Mediterranean, Balkan and Middle Eastern, and South Asian cuisine, at its simplest, a flatbread is flour and water mixed into a dough, rolled into balls, rested, flattened and griddled and it’s simply delicious.
What you will need
1 cup (8oz/225g) full fat natural plain yogurt (or greek yogurt).
1 cup (5oz/142g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup (4oz/115g) butter
2-3 cloves garlic finely minced
Parsley roughly chopped
1 pinch salt to taste
What to do
1. In a large bowl combine the flour and baking powder then add in the yogurt and mix until the yogurt has absorbed the flour. Get in there with your hands if required. You may not need all the yogurt so it’s best to add it little by little
2. Once the dough is formed into a smooth ball, place it on a floured surface. Using a knife divide the dough into 6 (2oz) balls
3. Working with one ball of dough at a time, roll each one out to an 8 x 8 circle. Try to roll the dough as thin as possible
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. While the skillet is heating melt together the butter, minced garlic and salt in the microwave for about 30 seconds
5. Using a pastry brush, brush one side of the rolled dough with the garlic butter before placing it (garlic side down) into hot skillet. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side allowing it to bubble up
6. Once the bread is golden (or darker if you like) brown on each side remove from the pan
7. Repeat this process until all 6 flatbreads are cooked
8. Serve with extra butter melted on top and a generous sprinkling of fresh herbs then dip into any of the leftover yogurt
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