Super simple family-style bread recipe

Posted in Recipes.
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  • Makes : 1
  • Prep time : 1 hr
  • Cooking time : 50 mins

This bread is such a good standard to have in your repertoire. It’s very easy to make and turns out a pretty gorgeous loaf that nobody will believe you made yourself. Also? Your house will smell delightful as it bakes. So. Many. Wins!

Simple family-style bread recipe ingredients

  • 5 cups of white bread flour
  • 2 cups of wholemeal spelt flour
  • 1/4 cup of olive oil
  • 2 1/2 cups of warm water
  • 1 sachet of dried yeast 
  • 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of salt

Note – A mixer with a dough hook helps to make bread making a lot easier, but you can mix this without one too. It’ll just take a little longer and be sticky work. You also need a cast iron Dutch oven type pot which has a lid for this recipe.

Method

Step 1. Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar and leave until frothy. This frothiness confirms the yeast is active and alive. If you don’t get a frothy top, start again with another sachet of yeast. Having nice, active yeast is very important when making bread.

Simple family style bread recipe

Step 2. In a big bowl, combine the flours and salt. Tip in the frothy yeast mix. Mix together well and then knead with the dough hook (or well-floured hands) for ten minutes – or until the dough becomes stretchy and elastic. It will be quite wet and sticky and if you’re hand mixing it’s good to add as little flour as possible. Be sparing, use a wooden spoon/hands as you can and you’ll get a nicer loaf.

Simple family style bread recipeSimple family style bread recipe

Step 3. Oil a large bowl and pop your dough in. Cover with plastic wrap or a plastic bag and pop in a warm spot. We want the dough to double in size.

Simple family style bread recipe

Step 4. When it’s getting close to doubling in size, put your oven on at 450F or 230C.  Put your Dutch oven in the oven with the lid on. We want it to get nice and hot.

Simple family style bread recipe

Step 5. Once your dough has doubled in size, tip in gently onto a floured bench top and make it into a loaf shape. If your Dutch oven is round, make it a ball shape. If your Dutch oven is oval, make a more oval shape. Try not to squish all of the air or bubbles out of the dough. Score the top of the dough with a sharp knife. This helps the loaf rise in the oven.

Simple family style bread recipeSimple family style bread recipeSimple family style bread recipe

Step 6. Carefully get your Dutch oven out of the oven and take the lid off. It should be very hot. Be very careful. Sprinkle flour inside the Dutch oven, then pop your dough in. It’s a wee juggle, but do your best. Now put the lid on and pop the whole thing into the oven.

Step 7. Cook for 25 minutes with the lid on. Then remove the lid (be careful! so hot!) and bake for another 25 minutes. When it’s ready it should be golden and sound hollow when tapped. Pop on a cake rack to cool down.

Simple family style bread recipe

Step 8. Congratulate yourself on a job well done!

Simple family style bread recipe

Simple family style bread recipe

 

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  • Makes : 1
  • Prep time : 1 hr
  • Cooking time : 50 mins

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