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Few foods are as versatile as bread, so it’s a staple in every household.
Whether you prefer seeded, wholemeal, sourdough, or a simple white bloomer in your bread bin, there’s a recipe for every kind of bread at the disposal of home cooks.
However, not all of them are easy to replicate, with some requiring several rounds of proving and kneading.
According to BBC Good Food, this formula is easy to follow, with just four ingredients and minimal preparation.
Hugo Harrison, the recipe creator, said, “This simple no-knead bread recipe is a great one to have up your sleeve, and it’s perfect for sandwiches.”
How to make bread
Mix the flour, yeast and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Next, add 325ml/11fl oz warm water and scrunch the flour mixture and water together until no lumps of flour remain, and you’re left with a “scruffy” sough ball.
Cover and set aside for one to two hours or until the size of the dough ball has doubled.
Grease a 3lb/1.3kg loaf tin with vegetable oil, then tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently tap the dough to flatten it, shaping it into a rough square.
Now fold the dough by bringing the top edge to the middle, pressing it to seal, and then bringing the left and right sides into the middle. Roll the top edge of the dough towards you a little at a time, pressing to seal it into itself as you roll.
At this point, the tension in the dough should be noticeable. When you have a large sausage shape, place the dough seam-side down into the loaf tin, cover it, and leave it in a warm place for 45 minutes to one hour or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to its highest temperature on a conventional setting rather than fan-assisted, and place a heavy-bottomed baking tray on the bottom of the oven to heat up.
After the dough has proven for a second time and doubled in size again, splash a small amount of water on top of it and place it on the middle shelf of the oven.
Pour a small glass of ice-cold water into the preheated tray at the bottom of the oven to create steam. Close the oven door and immediately turn the heat to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Bake the raw dough for 40 minutes, turning the tin halfway through cooking. To check that the bread is cooked, tip it out of the tin and tap it underneath—it should sound hollow.
If this is not the case then return the loaf into the tin and cook for five minutes. Remove the bread from the tin and leave it on a wire rack to cool before slicing.
