We've done the multi grains and the oats anf the whole wheat breads for the longest time now.
So it was time to do a basic white for hubby dear because he has this thing for all things unhealthy.
So after I pile him with all the healthy fruits and vegetables ,he needs a dose of buttered bread with eggs sunny side up.So this was long due coming up.
The easiest dough to make, I sprinkled a million and a half seeds and sea salt all over.
After so many years the wives become more like mothers...Always ready to stuff kids throats with healthy stuff.
I'm sure a lot of wives will agree. I wonder if husbands do the same...
Anyways mine resists all things healthy.
For the
Basic White Bread...
You need
2 1/2 cups of plain flour or maida
1 cup tepid water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp dried instant yeast
2 tbsp olive /canola / neutral vegetable oil
1 tsp milk or beaten egg to brush the bread
A million and a half seeds (by the count) sesame,nigella,poppy,flax and sea salt
Place the sugar and yeast in the tepid water and allow it to froth a little.
In a large bowl, mix the salt and flour.
That's the yeasty water.
Knead in the yeasty water, using almost all of it. Knead atleast 5-8 minutes.Stretching the dough to develop the gluten. Form into a ball.
In a large bowl, place the oil and plop in the ball of dough into the oil. Cover and set aside.
After the dough is doubled, punch the dough and knead in all the oil.
Now divide the dough into two, and shape the dough into two long loaves.
I did one in a bread tin and one as a focaccia.
Always good to grease a tin before you place the dough. And for the flat bread ,place on parchment paper. Saves a ton of cleaning up.
I kneaded some pizza seasoning herbs into the second part and placed it in a cake tin as a focaccia bread.
Cover both with film and set aside to proof the second time.
Ready to get punched!!!
Take that,and that!!!
Brush the bread with either milk or beayen egg and sprinkle with the million and a galf seeds you counted for your husband. (Winking here- I find that this pushes hubby dear just a little.more)
Ok, the before pictures were not too clear...so thats the after one...
Pop the bread and the foccacia into the oven and reduce the temperature to 180C after 5 minutes and bake for 30 -35 minutes till the bread sounds hollow when you hit it witha wooden spatula.
Yup ,thats why baking is such a great thing to do... you stroke and then knead and stretch and squeeze and then punch and then knock...(that's not an x-rated clip I am mentioning here) .
So now the bread os done.... bring onto a wire rack and slide the bread from the loaf tin.
We ate the flat bread warm with eggs sunny side up...
And then sliced it.
Lo and behold...
So the seeds and the salt and the bread together tasted yum.
Fresh bread always does.
So you can get one of your kids or flunkies to count the seeds... or sprinkle them with lurveeeeee
So what are you baking today???
