These past few days, I’ve seen a jaw too many drop promptly to the floor every time I say anything about baking bread at home. For a country of people that buy their bread in plastic packets from the corner grocer, baking bread at home is either ridiculously unnecessary or impossibly complex. This video is for my friends from both these categories.
When I started baking, I quickly realized that baking bread is far, far more therapeutic than baking anything from the cake or cookie category. Not only is it a healthy and convenient preparation for the family to enjoy, but it is also a wonderful way to stimulate the senses of touch and smell. I find that some of the best ideas and most sensible solutions come to me when I’m happily kneading my dough, inhaling the rich, comforting aroma of yeast, oblivious to the world outside my kitchen. And today, I invite you to the magic show.
One of my favorite breads is a simple white loaf that is easy to make, always turns out great, and is comforting in the way it is made and the way it is eaten.
Easy bread making video recipe
Ingredients:
- 500 gms. all purpose flour
- 15 gms. fresh yeast
- 10 gms. sugar
- 5 gms. salt
- 15 gms. fat
- ½ a beaten egg (optional)
- 1 cup lukewarm water (plus more, as required)
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees centigrade.
- Place the yeast and sugar in a cup or beaker and pour on some lukewarm water (about a cup) and leave in a warm place for about 10 minutes.
- Place the flour in a large basin.
- Once the yeast is frothy, pour the liquid into the flour and knead. Add the beaten egg (if using) and transfer to a large work surface like your kitchen counter. Continue to knead until you have to a soft and pliable dough, adding more water as required.
- Cream the fat and salt together and work into the dough. Knead again until you have a smooth and soft dough.
- Transfer to a greased bowl or basin and cover with moist muslin or cling wrap and leave in a warm place (like on top of your oven) for about 20 minutes or until double in size.
- Knock back the dough and knead lightly once more.
- Shape as desired and place on a greased and floured baking sheet (or on parchment) and prove again, for 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle some water on the loaf and adorn with choice of topping.
- Bake for about half an hour until browned to your liking.
- Remove and immediately brush with fat. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
- Eat, dunked in rich stews, or toasted and slathered with butter and preserves.
Note:
- For a very soft crust, like for dinner rolls, brush with milk before baking and do not brush with anything after.
- For a shiny, even gold, slightly chewy crust, brush with beaten egg before baking and do not brush with anything after.
One word-awesome!!Your video just inspired me to bake bread!!Great work!!
Thanks for sharing this video. I belong to the group who haven't tried Bread making. But very excited to make a beginning.But does instant yeast work well in place of fresh yeast ? I don't have access to fresh yeast.
Lovely!! No other word to describe this 🙂
Baking a bread is one of my favourite pass times!!! The recipe and the video are both great. An awesome post Saee 🙂
@ jayashree: If you're using an Indian brand of dried yeast, use double the quantity of fresh yeast. If you're using somethig like a Fleischmann yeast, use just as much as the recipe prescribes. Happy bread making to everyone!
first of all love the mood of this video…very well done Saee, wish to see some more from you and your brother.
between, what kind of fat did you use? is it ghee?
@Sayantani: Yes, that's cow ghee in the video. I find it yields a very soft crumb. Although I have used olive oil and butter with very good effect as well.
Love the video ….lovely
Fabulous video and great music to go with it !
A suggestion: a bread knife with serrated edges works best for slicing chewy breads. It cuts through the bread evenly and retains the bread structure while slicing.
Great video and sketch…once again awesome team work! It really helps to watch how to knead, now I know what I was doing wrong. You have inspired me to try baking a loaf from scratch once again, I am head over heels in love with oven fresh bread! Your loaf looks so beautiful, the perfect golden brown crust and a soft pillowy interior, the sesame topping is like cherry on the cake…I can only imagine what it would be like to see butter melting on on it! I am dreaming already!!! 😛
A sesame topped loaf is called a 'sesame semolina miche' here. I love everything with sesame in/on it! I was wondering if I can add some semolina (fine rawa) to this recipe? What would you suggest?
– Priti
@Anonymous: True. What happened here was, we cut the bread while it was still hot because we didn't want time to create inconsistencies in lighting. If the bread was completely cool, it'd show off a nice crumb with any sharp knife.
@Priti: I guess you could use very fine semolina (baareek rawa that we get here) but that'll make the bread a little dense. You might want to try semolina in a soda bread kind of recipe, where buttermilk is used. The buttermilk will soften the semolina and make it lighter. Let me know how it turns out!
Lovely video, Saee!! I've become a fan of baking bread at home just after two attempts. I liked your skillful kneading the dough. This video idea is great – keep 'em coming!
Hi Saee – have been really enjoying your site! Compliments from a fellow Koranne, my maiden last name is Koranne as well. Loved your stories/background info as well. I also love to try lots of things especially baking.Please try Sun-Dried Tomato Focaccia with Feta as well. There are a ton of recipes out there
Bye Pallavi
A great musical 🙂 and the crumb looks really tender. Good one.