~The Book Of Wonder Encyclopaedia~

The smell and taste of fresh home-baked bread is well worth the effort of making it. Hard work if done the 'old-fashioned way' but it's a great opportunity to pound out the stress of modern day living; do it to music and make it fun!
You can make white or brown bread from the recipe depending on whether you use white or wholemeal flour. I use both together with a ratio of 2 parts white:1 part wholemeal, this bakes to a lighter colour with a more 'nutty' flavour than white, and not as strong tasting as a full-blown brown. There's nothing to say you can't experiment!

Recipes

Basic Bread
Herb Bread

1. Make sure your hands, nails, work surface, and equipment are clean.
2. Collect all the tools and ingredients together.
3. Weigh out all ingredients and keep them to hand.
4. Warm the mixing bowl. Dry well if using hot water.
5. Put the flour in the mixing bowl and add the sugar and the salt. Stir in with wooden spoon.
6. Add the margarine, chopping in finely with the knife, or rub in using your finger tips.
7. Sprinkle on the dried yeast and mix well into the flour making sure it is evenly distributed.
8. Add all the water to the flour mix and stir together using the wooden spoon. If using only wholemeal add 50 ml ( 2 fl oz ) extra.
9. Use your hands as the dough thickens then when it leaves the sides of the bowl clean turn the mix out onto a floured surface. ( If the dough remains 'sticky' sprinkle on a little more flour until it feels firm.)
10. To 'knead' the dough put your hands on it, push down and away from you with the heel of the hand, then pull the far side of the dough back towards you and repeat the movement. Keeping the dough in a ball shape, and turning it slightly with each pull back, knead in this way for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and pliable.
11. Shape the dough into a fat sausage and place it in the oiled loaf tin, patting it down a little towards the corners. Cover the tin with the cling film to stop the dough drying out, then wrap it loosely in a clean tea cloth and put in a warm place so that the yeast can work, making the dough rise to double it's size. This will take about two hours.
12. Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8
13. When the loaf has risen remove the cling film and place the tin in the centre of the oven.
14. Bake the loaf for about 30-35 minutes. When ready it should turn easily out of the tin and sound hollow when tapped on the underside.
15. Stand it on a wire rack to cool.

• Mixing bowl
• Measuring jug
• Round bladed knife
• Teaspoon
• Wooden spoon
• 2 x 1lb, oiled loaf tins
• Wire tray

• 12oz (350g) strong bread flour
• 1½ level tspns salt
• 1tblspn vegetable oil
• 3tspns (15g) sugar
• 1tspn (5g) dried herb of choice
• Seeds - poppy, sesame, fennel etc.,
• 1 egg
• approx. ¼pt (225ml/7½floz) milk, blood heat
• 2 level tspns (10g) dried yeast
  OR ¾oz (20g) fresh yeast steeped in a little of the milk

1. Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl.
2. Add sugar and herbs, you can use mixed herbs, and stir in well.
3. Mix together the milk, egg and oil, beat well.
4. Add yeast and pour into dry mixture.
5. Beat well for about 5 mins until a creamy dough is achieved.
6. Divide mixture between the two loaf tins, cover and leave to double in bulk. (about 30 mins)
7. Bake at 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 for about 25-30 mins or until cooked through. (Test with a skewer.)
8. Turn out to cool on a wire rack.
9. Sprinkle seeds on tops while they are on the rack cooling.