- 250g malted brown bread flour
- 250g white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 5g quick yeast
- 10g sea salt
- 350ml water
- A little olive oil for kneading
- 1.
Measure the flours, salt and yeast into a large bowl. Mix together. Fold the water into the flour.
- 2.
Swirl everything together till all the flour comes away from the bowl and you have a sticky ball of dough. Add more water if it’s looking too dry, or more flour if it’s way too sticky. NOTE: it’s better for the dough to be too sticky vs too dry.
- 3.
Knead for 5 mins - rub a little oil on your hands first to keep the dough from sticking. Just keep working the dough till it’s smooth and a little shiny.
- 4.
Plonk the dough back into your bowl. Cover with a big plate. Set in a warm place to rise for 3 hours or till doubled in size (you can leave it overnight in the fridge, if you like).
- 5.
Punch the risen dough down. Brush a baking tray with oil. Lightly dust with flour. Add a gloss of oil to your hands. Shape the dough into a smooth ball. Set in the middle of your baking tray. Set aside to rise for 30 mins, or till about doubled in size.
- 6.
Preheat your oven to 230C/Fan 210C/Gas 8. Set a roasting tin half full of water in the bottom of the oven (this will create steam like a professional bread oven).
- 7.
Get an adult to help you score the top of your loaf with a knife: you can do a cross, a tic tac toe board (minus the knots and crosses) or a wheat sheaf.
- 8.
Set the bread in the centre of the oven. Cook for 15 mins at the high temperature. Lower the heat to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4. Cook a further 20 mins or till the loaf has risen further, is golden and sounds hollow when tapped.
- 9.
Let it rest for 15 mins (allowing all the steam to escape) before cutting into it.
- 10.
TECHNIQUE Fun patterns for your loaf Get your parents to do this but tell them what pattern you want: Criss Cross – Simply cut an X on the top of your loaf once it’s shaped and risen. Cut about 2cm deep, right across the top of the loaf. Tic Tac Toe – Cut two lines one way, and two the other way. It’ll look like a square with fringy edges. Again, cut about 2cm deep, right across the top of the loaf. Wheat Sheaf – Cut a line down the centre. Then, cut three little diagonals on each side of the big line, making it look a little bit like a wheat sheaf.
- 11.
ACTIVITY Homemade Play dough 1 mug of water ½ mug salt A few squeezes of freshly grated beetroot (squeezed over a sieve to tickle the dough pink) 2 tbsp oil 1 mug of flour Whisk the salt into the water till it’s dissolved. Add the beetroot juice or dye if using. Whisk in 2 tbsp oil. Fold in the flour. Mix it together. Add a little more oil, water and/or flour to reach the right consistency. Can you make a strawberry out of your pink dough? What else can you make?