Bread (super-easy!)

So I've never really had success when baking with yeast. I've tried so many times to make so many things, and everything is perfect except the yeast never behaves. Everything fluffs up and looks gorgeous, etc, but tastes and smells of yeast!

When Snigdha decided that we should make pizza base, I almost cried. But she was adamant, so I bought a new pack of dry active yeast. You know how it happens, when you want to show someone that something won't work, and just as you show them, it starts working? Yeah. The yeast behaved in a way I'd never seen before. It actually properly was frothing and bubbling!

I was so ecstatic, I decided to make bread the very next morning. And whaddaya know, it came out perfectly!

Ingredients: (makes 1 loaf) 

500g plain flour 

2 tsp dry active yeast 

200ml water 

1 tsp sugar (try and use finely ground sugar, like a sachet from a coffee shop) 

1 tsp salt  

2 tbsp oil 

Method: 

Heat the water in a microwave for about 30 seconds or heat till lukewarm. The temperature of the water is possibly the most important thing in this recipe – not too hot or too cold. You should be able to comfortably put your finger into the warm water. 

In a bowl, combine the yeast and sugar. Slowly stir in the warm water and leave to stand for 15 minutes. The yeast should activate and froth in this time. If it doesn't froth, throw this away and start again. If this step goes wrong, do not proceed! 

In a large bowl, add the flour, the oil and the salt. Pour the yeast mixture and knead till smooth and elastic (there are loads of YouTube videos showing you how). If you're using a machine to knead, be careful that you don't overdo it. 

The dough is ready when you press in a finger, and the dough bounces back. 

Grease a large bowl and put in the ball of dough. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or cling film/plastic wrap and keep in an airtight place like a microwave or an oven (but make sure it's turned off!)  

After about an hour, the dough will have doubled. Remove the cover and punch the dough once to expel the air. 

Now, bring out the bread tin and grease it well. Shape the dough into a tube the length of the tin, and place it in the tin. Keep this in the airtight place for another 30-40 minutes. 

The dough should rise again and take the shape of a loaf now. 

Bake in a preheated oven at 220ºC for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 190ºC and bake for another 20 minutes. 

How to check if the bread is done: knock it with your knuckles. It should sound hollow. 

And done!  

Slice according to your preference.

Tips:

 - Seriously, the yeast step is super important. Having attempted 5 different recipes of bread with three different brands of yeast, I know now, how imperative this is.

 - Use a serrated knife for easier slicing.

 - Kneading more (by hand) makes the bread softer, according to many sources.

 - I wouldn't recommend substituting plain flour with wheat, because wheat flour reacts very differently and the required quantities may differ. Experiment with caution!