Baking at home can be surprisingly calming — kneading the dough, waiting for it to rise, and, of course, the final result. There's nothing better than pulling a warm loaf from the oven, knowing you made it from scratch, start to finish.
However, and this is a big however, baking at home can be stressful for many. What if the bread doesn’t turn out right? Will it rise properly? That’s exactly why Shahar and Oren take you step-by-step on the journey to the perfect loaf.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (250 ml)
4 cups bread flour (560 g)
1 teaspoon dry yeast (5 g)
1 heaping teaspoon salt (8 g)
Instructions:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine water and yeast, allowing them to sit for a few minutes until the yeast dissolves.
2. Add the flour and salt, and knead on low speed for 3 minutes.
3. Increase the speed to high and knead for another 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and separates from the sides of the bowl.
4. Flour a bowl, transfer the dough, cover, and let it rise for 1 hour (ideally in a warm room).
5. Shape the dough into a rectangle. Fold it into thirds, rotate, and roll into a loaf shape.
6. Pinch the sides gently so that the surface is smooth.
7. Let it rise for another hour. Preheat the oven to 250°C.
8. Score the dough lightly, spray water on all sides, and place it in the oven. Immediately reduce the heat to 200°C.
9. Bake for 30 minutes. We know it's hard to wait, but give the bread a few minutes to cool before slicing it.
Shahar and Oren, in collaboration with Sugat