Bread is one of life's most comforting carbohydrate foods. It's also surprisingly low-cost and easy to make. This article details a simple way, how can you make bread that's delicious and economical. Follow these steps, and your next loaf of bread will be a snap — or at the very least, an inexpensive one!
Recipe to Make Bread
Ingredients Required
• 3/4 lukewarm water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
Steps To Prepare The Dough
1. Gather all the ingredients
2. Take a bowl and pour the warm water into the bowl
3. Add yeast and slowly stir it until it dissolves
4. Add salt, sugar & milk into the same bowl having yeast and stir it thoroughly
5. Proceed with adding shortening and the first 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Once added start mixing it, and you will notice small lumps which are completely normal at this stage
6. Once mixing is done, check whether the dough can chase the spoon around the bowl, if not then add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time
After The Dough Is Ready, Here Comes The To Time Proof It.
1. Take a board, sprinkle some flour and start by kneading your dough for about 10 mins. Knead the dough very nicely.
2. Once done take a bowl, grease it nicely, and put the dough in it. Remember to turn over the dough to grease both sides.
3. Cover the dough, find a warm spot, for example, an oven with lights on and keep the dough for the next 1 hour until it doubled
4. After 1 hour, take out the dough and punch it nicely.
5. Once you're done with punching, keep your dough on a board sprinkled with flour and knead for the next 5 minutes
6. Take a bread pan and grease it well. Put the dough in it and then cover it and wait 30 mins so that it rises or doubles and simultaneously preheat your oven to 375F
7. Once done, take a sharp knife and cut three lines on the top of the dough
8. Place your bread in the oven and bake for 35- 45 minutes or until it turns golden brown
9. Once fully baked, take out the bread, and before cutting let it cool for sometime
10. Serve & enjoy!!
Some Tools that can help you while Making Bread
1. Baking Stone
A baking stone is an excellent tool for baking bread or pizza at home. Baking on a stone surface creates an evenly high heat distribution for perfect baking. The stone surface reduces the frequency with which you have to move the bread.
2. Bench Scraper
A bench scraper sometimes referred to as a dough scraper, is a tool used by bakers to collect sticky bread dough, scrape the dough off countertops, and cut and divide dough. The bench scraper is usually made of stainless steel, although some may be made of stiff, hard plastic.
3. Silicone Mat
A silicone baking mat is made of high-quality, food-grade silicone and fiberglass and is most commonly used to cover baking trays when baking. Their non-stick properties also make them perfect for baking messy or sticky preparations.
4. Loaf/ Bread Pans
A rectangular baking pan is used for baking a single loaf of bread or multiple loaves of meat. In the manufacture of bread, loaf pans are made to produce a semi-crispy crust with an evenly textured crumb, however, not all pans are suitable so testing may need to be done to achieve the desired result.
5. Oven Thermometer
An oven thermometer is small, stainless steel, an ovenproof thermometer that you can use to check the internal temperature of an oven. It's usually designed so you can hang it on one of your oven racks.
Easy Tips to remember while making a Bread
1. Don't proof the dough more than its expected time. Proofing helps the dough to rise. Over-proofing can be a bad idea as it can lead the dough to sink back again.
2. Measure your ingredients carefully. Small differences in the ingredients can lead to a disaster.
3. Use the right yeast & store your yeast properly.
Yeast is an essential ingredient when making bread. Using expired yeast or the wrong yeast can be a hurdle in making perfect bread.
4. Never forget to preheat your oven. Don't be in a hurry to put your bread in the oven. Preheat the oven before putting your bread dough in for at least 20 minutes. The best tip for baking bread is to leave the oven to preheat all the time so that it doesn't lose heat while you put the bread in.
5. Always take your time. As it is said, practice makes a man perfect. It's not always necessary that the bread turns out perfect the first time.
Practice and Patience are the keys.
Conclusion
Bread is a great option for everyday consumption or for use as a base to make tasty snacks or snacks with additional ingredients. It can be made from any type of wheat and is commonly served with meals throughout the world. It's an easy and inexpensive way to enjoy healthy eating, and it's a great source of fiber and vitamins.
