Simple white loaf

 A while ago I wrote on my bucket list that I would like to bake bread. I have never been much of a baker but on the occasions that I do chose to make something it is usually cake as that is one of my favourite things to eat! But bread is part of almost everybody's diet, it's one of those things that is always in the house for when you need a quick bite to stave off the hunger.

Bread uses such few ingredients and is simple to make that I am surprised it has taken me so long to get round to making it. I didn't want to start off with anything too fancy that had seeds and stuff so I just opted for a simple white loaf.

Ingredients:

500g strong white flour
7g sachet of yeast
2 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
300ml luke warm water

Mix the ingredients together to form a dough and place on a floured surface and start to knead.
A machine can be used for this but I think kneading is the best thing about making bread and is a great workout for the arms.
After 5-10mins of kneading you should have a nice smooth dough. This can be placed back into the bowl, covered and left to rise for 1 hour.

Remove the dough from the bowl and mould into the desired shape, place on a tray lined with parchment paper and leave to prove for a further hour. It can be covered with clingfilm of a tea towel while proving.

Heat the oven to 220C and bake the bread for 25-30mins. Once it is golden brown, remove and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Voila... we have bread!

I don't think I scored the top of the bread hard enough with the knife as the lines didn't separate however the bread was a nice texture, crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. I thought it tasted a bit bland but the kids loved it and if you use plenty of butter or a sweet filling such as jam then this doesn't matter.

Do you bake your own bread?