Simple White Bread / Raisin Loaf

 

My very first post bread making. This recipes for a simple white bread loaf and making it is simple enough well if you get the basic of the bread baking down, ie: how to proof the bread, how to form the loaf, how to knead the dough. Maybe I should write up a post on how the technique of bread making, I shall think about it. I still learning and don't want to be giving out wrong instruction!! haha.

With this basic recipe, you can easily get your favorite topping into the loaf, chocolate, raisin, bacon, cheese, herbs, it is only limited to your imagination. So why make your own bread when you can simply buy one from the supermarket. Well when you make your own loaf of bread it just simply taste better, at least that is what I think, plus there is no added preservative, chemical or anything of those artificial stuff. You control what you are putting in your bread hence what you putting into your body. Making bread is fun and it can be a good workout too if you are kneading the dough by hand.

It may look like a lot of work making bread but actually most of the time if spent allowing the dough to proof and the actual working time spend on making the bread is very short.


Recipe (Adapted from Julia Child's white loaf Recipes)

Make one loaf of bread

265ml     Water
3g           Instant yeast
6g          Sugar
400g      Bread flour
7.5g      Salt
50g       Butter
20g       Milk powder

(Optional)
100g     Raisin soaked in warm water for 10 mins then drain

• Combine flour, salt, instant yeast, sugar, milk powder in a mixing bowl and mix well.
• Add in water and stir well to mix. You can do all this by hand or using your stand mixer using the dough hook.
• Cover the dough with a moist cloth for 20 min to allow the dough to rest (This rest called "autolyse" will allow the flour to hydrate and gluten to relax)
• Using your hand or stand mixer, begin to knead the dough for about 5 to 8 minutes. 
• Add the butter one tablespoon at a time, dough may come apart but it will come together eventually.You can add more flour so that the dough will become tacky but not sticky. It should also be able to pass the windowpane test, meaning that you are able to stretch the dough into a thin membrane yet not tear the dough. This means the gluten in the dough have been properly developed. (You can also add in your other ingredient like raisin etc at this time)
• Once all the butter is mix in, turn out the dough into a lightly floured surface and shape into a bowl. 
• Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a moist cloth and leave it at a warm place in the house to proof for 60 to 90 minutes or until the dough double in size. 
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, flatten it into a rough shape of a rectangle, and fold the dough into third like how you will do a sheet of paper. 
• Roll the dough into a roll, pinch the seam close and fold the ends in so that it will fit into the loaf pan. 
• Drop loaf into the pan and cover the pan with a moist cloth to allow it to "bench proof" for another 60 minute or until dough almost dough in size. 
• Preheat oven to 190 degree C 
• Before the loaf go into the oven, spray the top with water, place the loaf into the oven, mist the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Bread is ready when tapping the bottom of the pan gives out a hollow sound. 
• Turn out the loaf on to a cooling rack. Allow the bread to cool completely before cutting.