Mum's bread

This is the way I make our daily bread - except I don't make it every day - perhaps about every 2 - 3 days. I measure out about 500ml of cold water and blast it in the microwave for 1 minute. While that is doing I put 1 level tsp of dried yeast (pesky Tesky's) and 2 tsp of sugar into the bowl of my mixer. The flour I use mostly is Tesco and Lydl bread flour. I occasionally mix in some granary, rye or wholemeal. Once the water is warm I pour it into the bowl and give it all a stir. Leave for about 15 minutes to froth a bit.

Blast a 'knob' of butter in the microwave until it's just melted - not hot.

Put the oven on to 60 degrees Celsius. Add some flour to the bowl, then a 'pinch' of salt. I only use less than a level tsp. for 2 loaves.

Put the mixer on the lowest speed with the dough hook attached. If you have no mixer, stir it round with a spoon. Keep adding more flour a desert spoon at a time while the mixer is going. Add the melted butter aswell. If doing this by hand you will have to use your hands as the mixture gets stiffer.

The mixture below is too sloppy, more flour needed.

Now the dough is coming away from the sides but still sticking to the bottom. More flour needed.

Now the mixture has come away from the sides and the bottom. The mixer has been running 8 - 10 minutes at low speed.

I now dive in with a floured hand, to finish off the kneading, by adding a little bit more flour until the mixture is not too sticky. It should feel silky and smooth.

Here it is ready. Now cover the bowl with a towel, turn off the oven and put the bowl in the oven. Forget about it until a few hours later. My dough usually rises to nearly the top of the bowl.

Once the dough has risen (turn on the oven again to 60 degrees) take it out of the bowl using floured hands (messy), cut in half with a bread knife and mould into 2 loaves. Put into 2 loaf tins and put back in the oven to rise again. This time it will take an hour to rise. Take out of the oven and turn oven on to 200 degrees. Once hot bake the loaves for 20 - 25 mins.

Here's the finished result. I normally freeze one so I don't have to make bread everyday. Everyone who makes their own bread eventually settles down into a routine that suits them. I sort the yeast out, take the cats a walk, come in and make the bread, forget about it till mid afternoon, do a second rise and bake in the oven just before tea time, when the oven may be on for making our meal. This way suits me and this is the way I make our daily bread.