I made bread!

I confess. I cheat on knitting a lot. Today I made bread. It's lovely rye and some leftover wholemeal.

Bread is one of the easiest things to make - people seem to think it's difficult but it's not. It is also very low maintenance, there's really very little for you to actually do.

My bread recipe in basic terms

Mix the dry ingredients

Flour (any) about 600g

Salt to taste (way to personal I like mine quite savoury)

Yeast - 2 sachets

Seeds/nuts/dried fruit - whatever you fancy

Add the wet ingredients

Oil

finger warm water or milk (about 500ml - but this will depend very much on the flour - add 300ml to start and start stirring)

the dough is the right consistency when still a little sticky but one fairly solid lump. Cover and leave to rise for 45 - 60mins. Try to eliminate cold and draughts.

Leave the dough alone! Do not move it do not peek at it just leave it alone for at least 45mins. Go knit something ...

After 45 - 60mins the dought will have increased in size (for white bread it should have at least doubled a bit less for brown in my experience).

Turn dough out on clean table. Pound a bit. Knead a bit (add more flour if it is too sticky).

Shape into whatever shape you want. put on to a baking tray (with some baking parchment underneath) Cover with clean tea towel. LEAVE IT ALONE FOR 30 - 40mins. In the meantime you can turn the oven on (200degrees centigrade)

The bread should increase by about 1/3 in size (probably a bit more). Now put it into the oven a bit below the middle and leave it for 40 - 50mins. Take out after 40 and give it a tap - if it sounds hollow it's ready. If it doesn't put it back for another 5mins. Repeat.

And voila. The bread is done.