Making bread really is quite easy. This recipe is a great place to start if you have not made bread before or are a little short of time. Mind you, if you were truly short of time, bread may not be the best recipe to start with!
Time to prepare: 20 mins
Time to cook: 25 mins
Dietary requirements: Dairy-free, Egg-free, Vegan
1. Place the flour into a large bowl. Add the yeast and salt, then mix.
2. Tip the oil into the warm water. Make a well in the flour and gradually add the water, mixing as you go with a wooden spoon.
3. Bring the dough together, then tip it out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust a little flour over your hands. This will help prevent them from sticking to the dough.
4. Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes. This is important because kneading develops the structure of the bread. A good way to knead is to work quickly because this helps to prevent the dough sticking.
5. Lightly hold one end of the dough and with the other hand stretch the dough away from you. The key is stretching. If you find the dough is too wet, add a little more flour.
6. Once the dough has an elastic texture and springs back when lightly touched, place it into your bread pan. This needs to be large enough for the bread to rise and double in size. Cover with a clean cloth and allow to rise (can take 1–2 hours).
7. Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F/gas mark 5. Carefully place your risen dough into the oven for 25 minutes. Using an oven cloth, lift out the loaf and tip the loaf out onto your work surface. Give the underside of the loaf a tap. If your loaf sounds hollow it is cooked. If not place back into the oven for another 5 minutes and repeat until cooked.
Although tempting to eat straight away, allow your loaf to cool before slicing because a hot fresh loaf tends to tear when sliced.