Basic Bread Making

This old lock-down business can be difficult for some folks - our house is on its third spring-clean this week. And the garden has been "trimmed" within an inch of its life.

Why not practise your bread making skills - if you can find the flour to do it with - Intermarché in Confolens was pretty much sold out last week but T55 & T65 is back on the shelves today.

Here are some basic bread making guidelines...

Bread-making is not difficult provided you know how yeast works + a few basic rules. I suggest the first time you try this, do it by hand so you get to know the "feel"of the dough; it is a very tactile experience. In the following notes feel free to make adjustments for the future if its not to your taste. Also, don't expect perfection your first time!

To make bread your yeast needs heat, food and moisture to produce the CO2 which makes the dough rise. Salt will kill the yeast but it gives flavour so measure carefully - no more than 1oz per 3½ lb flour

To make a good loaf you need flour with high gluten (protein) - the scaffolding which gives a loaf its shape. You can use All Purpose Flour but you may have to adjust the amount of liquid and your loaf will be more dense.

Types of Flour (Farine de Blé)

Farine de blé is wheat-flour - there are plenty of other types - and comes in different grades

• T45 - all purpose/soft - use for cakes or thickening; usually the cheapest
• T55 - stronger, high gluten content - use for bread, pizza, choux pastry, puff pastry
• T65 - stronger still - use for making bread
• T80 - ½ complet
• T110 - complet

Dried Yeast (La levure de boulanger) 

Often sold in packets: 5g = ½oz fresh yeast

Don't get levure chimique by mistake - this is baking powder

The ratio of yeast to flour determines the bulk proof (first rise) and the final proof. For example

• 3½lb flour + 3oz yeast needs ½hour to prove
• 3½lb flour + ½oz yeast needs 3 hours to prove

The longer the proof, the better the flavour; try for an over-night bulk proof!

Have no Yeast? Make your own sourdough (levain):  not instant but gives good flavour

• 2 cups flour
• 1½ cups warm water
• teaspoon of honey

Mix well, cover and leave 4 days

• + 1 cup flour
• + ½ cup warm water

Leave for 1 day

Use 8oz sourdough instead of 1lb flour

You can keep adding to the base and will stay alive for years!

Adjustments

French bread has lost much of its flavour due to the reduction, by law, of its salt content. For the same reason, it is also illegal now to add fat which is why bread goes stale so quickly. And of course you have to buy more?!?

• By adding a small amount of fat or oil or milk, you will produce a softer crumb with good keeping qualities
• Brush the moulded loaf with milk + salt or sugar to produce a better colour crust

Basic Oven Bottom White Bread

Makes 2 bloomer type loaves

• 1lb 2oz (500g) Type 55 Flour
• 8-10oz warm (not hot) water or milk
• 1 packet dried yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½-¾oz fat or oil

• Bulk proof = 2 hours
• Final proof = 1 hour

• Bake at 200°C for 30-40 minutes

Method

• put yeast & sugar into the warm water and mix and let it rest for a few minutes
• pour the flour onto your work-surface and shape it into a circle
• place salt round the edge
• add fat
• pour the liquid mix into the centre gradually, pulling in the flour to absorb the liquid
• when all the liquid has been used up, use your hands to bring any loose flour into the mix
• continue kneading the dough until it is smooth 

Both hands and the work-surface will become less sticky as the gluten develops.

French dough is made wetter so needs more flour for the final moulding giving it a tough, inedible crust.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave in a warm (not hot, less than 25°C) place until it has doubled in size (bulk proof).

Generally, the longer it is left to prove, the better the flavour will be.

• Turn out the dough onto your work-surface; you should not need flour, if the dough has been made correctly it should not be sticky - but in an emergency you can sprinkle some flour about
• Work the dough to distribute air into the mix. This working will determine how dense the load will be: more working = more air = less dense
• Divide the dough-ball into 2 parts and mould into shape pulling the outside into the centre; place on lightly greased sheet and leave again to prove (final proof) until they have doubled in size - so don't place them too close together.

The time it takes depends on the ambient temperature but generally the longer it takes, the better it will taste

Tip: leave the dough to prove in your microwave (don't turn it on though) with a container of hot water so it doesn't dry out

When you and your dough is ready - pre-heat your oven to 200°C: needs to be hot to stop the loaves rising. You can reduce the heat if it is colouring too quickly. You can also re-do the glaze if necessary.

Enjoy! Let us know you get on

There are lots of videos on the Internet, even Jamie Oliver has made one.  Plenty of recipes too, this is just to give you an idea how it all works