There is something wonderful about making your own bread. It is a very rewarding way to have bread in the home, it is a relaxing pastime to engage in, and it tends to be something that a lot of people find therapeutic too. But if you are thinking about getting into bread making, you will need to know what you need to do first of all. In this post, we are going to suggest a few things you might want to be aware of as you start to think about baking your own bread in your home.
Start Simple
Before you get into producing sourdough levian baguettes or multi-seed cob loafs, it’s best to start with a simple tin loaf. Plus, you should start with a white loaf, as white flour is generally easier to work with and is much better for learning to knead with. A simple white tin loaf requires a loaf tin, of course, as well as the normal quantities of flour, yeast, salt and water. But nothing else, so it is a great way to get practising on each aspect of the bread making process. Find a recipe that looks good, and give it a go.
Learning To Knead
Kneading is given a hard time as being something that is challenging to do right. But actually, it’s not too difficult to learn how to do it. There are many different techniques you can try. The easiest is probably to simply push half of the ball of dough away from you, fold it back over, turn the dough around 45 degrees, and repeat. At first it will take you around 15 minutes to knead your dough, but after practice you’ll be able to do it in 5 or 10 at most. It’s ready when it’s elastic, springy on top, and smooth all over.
Store It Well
Many people are surprised to discover that home baked bread doesn’t last as long as store-bought loaves. That’s simply because you don’t put preservatives in home baked loaves – and nor should you. But make sure that you are storing it in the right way to help keep its lifespan going for as long as possible. For a loaf that you are eating in a day, these bread baskets are hand made and beautiful for that purpose. For loaves that you might want to store longer, consider a bread bin or a tupperware container. For a low-key solution, just use a plastic bag.
Expand & Experiment
Now that you have the basics down, it is time to expand your repertoire and experiment with different techniques and different kinds of loaves. The fun of it is that you can do whatever you want – try out your own recipes and flavours, or simply use a cookbook to try out the ones they suggest. In any case, you will find that there is a lot of fun to be had in this, and it is one of the most enjoyable experiences you are likely to have in the kitchen.