Basic White Loaf
Making a basic white loaf isn't difficult—follow this method to bake a perfect sandwich bread.
Ingredients
strong white bread flour
500 g
dried yeast
7 g
table salt
10 g
olive oil (15ml)
1 tbsp
warm water
300 ml
Instructions
1
Mixing the Dough
Put the flour, dried yeast, and salt into a large bowl. Try not to let the yeast and salt come into direct contact at this point, as the salt can kill the yeast. Measure out the water and stir in the olive oil. Pour the liquid into the bowl. Use your hands to gradually bring the mixture together until a rough dough forms. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.
2
Kneading
Using the heel of your hand, push a portion of the dough away, then pull it back to stretch it. Repeat this motion until the dough is smooth and silky — this takes about 10 minutes.
3
First Proof
Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a clean, lightly oiled large bowl, and cover with cling film. Leave in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size.
4
Shaping and Second Proof
Scrape the dough back onto the work surface, press down with your fingers to release the gas, and shape it into a round. To form a tight cylinder shape, roll the dough up from top to bottom, tucking the two ends slightly underneath. Place the dough on a baking sheet, seam side down. Dust with flour and leave in a warm place for a second proof of 30 minutes. While the dough is proving, preheat the oven to 250˚C / 475˚F / gas mark 10, or the highest setting.
5
Baking
Once the dough has proved, use a serrated knife to score a 1/2-inch-deep slit lengthwise along the top of the dough. Place the baking sheet on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180˚C / 350˚F / gas mark 4 and bake for a further 20 minutes. The loaf is fully baked when the underside is deep brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.
