Basic white bread

When I went to make Lyra’s packed lunch for her multisport club this morning, I found we were out of bread. Not even a freezer-burnt pitta or bagel that I could call into service… Instead of getting dressed and walking to the corner shop, I decided to bake something.

This basic white loaf is dead easy to make. It uses instant yeast, has a single rise in the pan while the oven preheats, and bakes in about half an hour. From a 7am start, I was able to pack her off with her sandwiches at ten to nine.

Basic white bread
(makes one loaf)

• 500g (about 1 lb) white bread flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Tb vegetable oil or soft butter
• warm water

1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt yeast and sugar.
2. Slowly stir in the warm water, until a shaggy ball of dough forms.
3. Work in the oil or butter with your hands, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
4. Knead for about ten minutes, adding a bit more water if it seems too dry, or more flour if it’s too wet.
5. When the dough is smooth and elastic, form it into a loaf shape and put it in an oiled loaf pan, turning to coat. Cover loosely with clingfilm, and leave to rise until doubled in size (about half an hour when the weather is warm).
6. Preheat the oven to 450°F. (I put a shallow pan of water in the bottom of the oven to help the bread rise. Apparently you shouldn’t do this if you have a convection oven…)
7. Sprinkle the top of the loaf with flour, then  bake for fifteen minutes. Now lower the temperature to 400°F and bake for another fifteen to twenty minutes, until the crust is a rich brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.
8. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Tags: dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian, yeast breads