We Made Bread

We finally decided to make bread. We've been planning to make bread for weeks now, and this weekend seemed like the right time to try it out. We got some bread flour at the store, and looked at a few recipes. Bread recipes are simple: yeast, water, flour a bit of salt and the craftmanship of the baker.

The art of making bread is 85% working the dough. After mixing 400g of flour, 250ML of water and 8g of dried yeast, we emptied the wet dough onto a floured board. We learnt a few tips from online videos making bread, particularly how to turn a sticky mess into anything that resembles uncooked bread. Understanding the elasticity of the dough is of paramount importance. We worked the dough by trying to creating an elastic and tense side. Hard to imagine it, I know. You should've been there.

In one batch we made small little buns. Four, to be more precise. We put them on a baking tray and let them rise for 30 minutes or so. Then they went into a 220C oven, with some water on a bottom tray. The water seems to be important, because the steam generated from it will help make a delicious crust. Not sure why or how, but we'll find out the reason one of these days. The buns remained in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. Below is a sort of small baguette I rolled.

The three buns below are a bit amorphous. But they tasted and looked great. The crust was crispy, but not crunchy. It was thin and wonderful. Was it the steam?

Overall, we consider the outcome of this recipe a success. For future attempts, we will try to work the dough a bit better and let the dough rise on a warmer place for a longer time. We want those yeasts to create more bubble of carbon dioxide so the bread is a bit fluffier.

We made a second batch. This time, we put the bread into a rectangular mold. Also very good.

Recipe summary: 400mL bread flour, 250mL water, two tsp of salt and a 8g package of dried yeast, previously activated in a bit of warm water. Mix, work the dough a bit, let rest fo 30 minutes. Work the dough a bit more, making buns, or putting into a mold. Let rest for another 30 minutes or so. Bake in a 220C oven for about 25 minutes.