As an 11 year old, I won the bread making class at our village summer show. I had learnt to make bread at school the previous term and thought I was Paul Hollywood, not that I knew who he was, it was 1995 and he hadn't become TV royalty yet...
The precocious young lad had beaten the local baker, but I was mortified that the photo of my pony had only got a highly-commended. You can imagine the injustice I felt.
Well, that was a long time ago and here is a fun loaf to make. I guess you can make any shape, be creative!
Ingredients
675g Strong White Bread Flour, plus extra for flouring
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar
1 Sachet of Dried Yeast (7-8g)
2 tbsp Olive Oil
450ml Warm Water
1 Egg
Mixed Seeds, if desired
Method
1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Add the sugar and dried yeast.
2. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the oil and most of the water - retain a bit of the liquid as you may need to add more later to get the right consistency. Mix with your hands to bring together to form a soft dough.
3. Time to get stuck in - knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes, It should get shiny and elastic
4. Place the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover and leave in a warm place for approximately one hour to rise, until doubled in size. I put mine in the airing cupboard
5. When the dough has risen to about double the size, place it on a clean work surface and knead it again to 'knock it back'. Knead for about five minutes until smooth and more elastic
6. Divide the dough into three equal pieces and roll into sausages of equal size, plait the sausages together to form a large loaf tucking in the ends and place onto a lightly floured baking tray. Cover the loaf and return to your warm place to prove again for a further 30 minutes
7. Now it's time to get the oven going. Heat to 190c (no fan)
8. Glaze the risen loaf with the beaten egg and sprinkle the seeds on top if using - I use any mixed seeds that I have in the larder, and we are all unique
9. Bake your loaf in the oven for about 30 minutes - It'll ready when it is risen and golden and sounds hollow when tapped underneath
Yum, bloody yum!
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