Basic Bread

INGREDIENTS

350ml tepid water

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon (runny) honey

2 tablespoons olive oil

550g bread flour

7g (1 sachet) of dried yeast (or 5g fresh)

METHOD

1. Mix the yeast, salt, oil, honey and tepid water in the bowl of a standing mixer. Leave the yeast work for a couple of minutes  until it gets a bit foamy, then add the flour. (You can knead the dough by hand by I never had enough time to do so.)

2. Start to knead on speed 1 and when you got a manageable dough switch to speed 2 for about 8 minutes.

3. Leave the dough in the bowl and cover with oiled/greased plastic wrap. Put it in a warm place and leave it to rise for 45-60 minutes or until it is doubled in size.

4. According to the official method you should punch and knock the air out of it, but I never do (sorry), I just put the dough on a floured surface and gently roll it over to form a bread shape. If the dough is too soft I twist it twice to be higher.

5. Leave it on the desk while preheating the oven to 220°C (gas 7). Put an empty duck baking bowl (with its lid) into the oven to get the same temperature! When the time comes, carefully transfer your dough into the hot duck baking bowl and cover it with the lid. Return it to the oven (don’t forget: the bowl is HOT!) and bake your bread until it gets golden brown (about 30 min).

Take your bread out of the bowl and place it on a wire rack to cool. 

Enjoy!