Bread

This is based on the recipe that came with my breadmaking machine. But it produced bricks, not loaves, so I used about half the amount of flour and made custom settings on the machine to double the rise times.

Bread

Ingredients

• 300 ml water
• 750 ml flour
• 15 ml sugar
• 30 ml olive oil
• 5 ml yeast

Preparation

Breadmaking Machine

• Put the water in the pan
• Add the flour on top of the water
• Add the sugar in a corner where the water is still visible
• Add the olive oil in a different corner
• Add the yeast in the corner with the sugar

• Pre-heat setting: 10 minutes
• Low-speed knead: 5 minutes
• High-speed knead: 10 minutes
• First rise: 1 hour
• Punchback
• Second rise: 1 hour
• Punchback
• Third rise: 1.5 hours
• Bake: 1 hour (180C, 355F)

Let the bread cool down for at least 30 minutes before removing from the pan.

Traditional

• Add the sugar to the water, heat slightly to 30C
• Add yeast to sugar water, let the yeast grow for 15 minutes
• Heap the flour on the kneading surface, make a dent in the top
• Pour the yeast mixture into the dent, add olive oil
• Slowly mix the flour from the centre of the heap with the yeast mixture
• When the yeast/flour mixture is pasty you can begin kneading in the rest of the flour
• Knead until the dough is silky smooth
• Let rise 1 hour in a warm place
• Punchback
• Let rise 1 hour in a warm place
• Punchback
• Let rise 1.5 hours in a warm place
• Shape into a loaf on a baking tray, or into 8 to 12 buns
• Bake in pre-heated oven at 180C or 355F for 50 minutes, check for doneness

For a crispy crust place an empty cookie tin in the oven; when putting the loaf into the oven, pour some water on the cookie tin. The steam will make a crispy crust.

Making a warm place

Place ¼ cup water into a microwave oven, bring to a boil. Once the water has boiled turn off the oven and place the dough in the oven with the water. The heat and moisture make an ideal place for the dough to rise.