Once you have tried making a basic loaf of bread you may wish
to extend your bread repertoire by shaping and flavouring your bread.
Serves: 4
Time to prepare: 35 mins
Time to cook: 20 mins
Dietary requirements: Dairy-free, Egg-free, Vegan
Ingredients
500g/generous 1lb strong bread flour
1 tsp fast action dried yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
300ml warm water
Topping and glaze ingredients
100ml soya milk
5g sesame seeds
Salt and pepper
Additional ingredients for the rolled bread
3 chopped sundried tomatoes
½ tsp chili flakes
Instructions
Place the flour into a large bowl and add the yeast and salt, then stir. Tip the oil into the water. Make a well in the flour and gradually add the water while stirring. Bring the dough together, then tip out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust your hands with a little flour.
Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes. Place the dough into a clean bowl, cover and allow to rise until doubled in size. This make take 1–2 hours.
Tip your dough onto a lightly floured surface and knock it back. This basically means to knock the air out.
Divide the dough into three portions.
Rolled Flavoured Bread
Method
You really can put all sorts of flavours into your bread. I’m partial to chopped sundried tomatoes and chilli flakes. Other flavours I have tried that work well are garlic, black pepper, fennel seeds, basil and mixed herbs.
Gently roll out the dough as though you were going to make a pizza. Sprinkle on your flavour of choice. You really don’t need much.
Roll the dough to form a sausage shape. Place your dough into a lined baking sheet. Push in the ends of the dough and pinch together to seal the ends.
Use a sharp knife to score the top of the dough several times. Brush your dough with a little soya milk.
Sprinkle your dough with sesame seeds, salt, pepper, a few chilli flakes or whatever you fancy. Allow the dough to rise for a second time.
Plaited Loaf
Take your second piece of dough and divide it into three pieces. Using your hands, roll each piece of dough into a snake shape.
Place the three ‘snakes’ in a row. Bring the three pieces together at the top and firmly pinch together.
To plait, take the outside left piece and place over the middle piece. Take the outside right piece and place it over the middle piece. Repeat until you have formed a plait. Pinch the dough together at the bottom and place into your lined baking tray. Brush with a little soya milk and sprinkle on sesame seeds and a little salt.
Bread Rolls
This is the easiest of the three.
Simply divide the remaining dough into two pieces and shape into small rolls.
Place your rolls onto a lined baking sheet brush with a little soya milk and top with sesame seeds and a little salt.
Allow all of the dough creations to rise for about an hour.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C/390°F/gas mark 5, for 20 minutes.