How to Cook a Crusty White Loaf in Very Little Time

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How to Cook a Crusty White Loaf in Very Little Time

This recipe will make 2 x 1/2lb white crusty loaves. Prep time 3 hours including 2.5 hours rise time. I have included a few tips at the end to help explain a few things.

Simon Thomson 🚚

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Step 1 of 30

Mixing Bowles and ingredients at the ready.

Step 2 of 30

Add yeast, salt and Olive Oil to the Flour

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And mix.

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Add the warm water.

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And mix with the dough fittings and speed set to the slowest possible.

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Knead and form into a ball when the dough is soft and light. I kneed in the mixing bowl as it creates less mess :)

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Cover with 'Cling Film' (plastic wrap) and place in a warm place. . See Tip 2 at the end of this guide

Step 8 of 30

I've cleaned the kitchen &, been out to buy some ant killer (we have an infestation at the moment). The dough is rising well & the Ginger Beer in the background is nearly ready for racking off.

Step 9 of 30

Roll out the dough on a floured surface.

Step 10 of 30

Fold and roll each half of the dough

Step 11 of 30

Folding the ends over to stretch in to a smooth shape.

Step 12 of 30

Flour and cover then leave to rise in a warm place. The flour is to stop the dough from sticking to the 'Cling Film'.

Step 13 of 30

No, not Yet! Don't be tempted to start cooking too soon. Wait until the bread former is filled and the dough is above the sides of the tin.

Step 14 of 30

Time to turn the oven on. 180C (350F Gas Mk 4). Place a metal tray in the bottom of the oven. See tip 4 Crust formation for an explication.

Step 15 of 30

When risen and the oven's up to temperature, slice the top to allow the bread to expand

Step 16 of 30

Place bread in oven and pour the half cup of cold watt into the metal tin.

Step 17 of 30

As you see, after 4 minutes cooking the cut has opened up as the dough expands

Step 18 of 30

Just a few minutes more.

Step 19 of 30

After 25 minutes, take bread from oven and tap the bottom of the loaf. It should sound hollow. After a further 5 more minutes the bread is ready.

Step 20 of 30

The finished loaf. Leave to cool before eating.

Step 21 of 30

Tip 1: Fresh Yeast - This can be obtained anywhere you find a bakery. Just ask and see what happens, at worst they'll say no, at best you'll get given a block of bakers yeast for free :)

Step 22 of 30

Tip 2: Heat Mat - As we live in the UK, and don't have the heating on at present, we have improvised a heat mat. This is a heat mat designed for under a reptile cage. See photo on the next page.

Step 23 of 30

The Heat Mat - use old plastic bottle tops to lift the bowl away from the heat and a couple of sheets of paper to protect the work top.

Step 24 of 30

Tip 3: Crust formation - to create a good crust, place an empty metal dish in the base of the oven before turning on. When the oven is hot and immediately after putting the bread in... continued

Step 25 of 30

Tip 3 continued: ...pour the half a cup of cold water in to the hot metal dish. Do not add too much water as it has to all have evaporate before the bread is cooked or else you'll get a soft crust.

Step 26 of 30

Tip 4: Bread tins - either lightly grease or flour the tins before adding the dough. This will make getting the loaf out after cooking easier.

Step 27 of 30

Tip 5a: Cutting the Dough - just before the bread gets placed in the oven the top is cut to allow the dough to rise. If you use a blade (above) lightly oil it before use to stop it ripping the crust

Step 28 of 30

Tip 5b: Cutting the Dough - razor blade and Star Buck stirrers. Be careful fitting the blade to the stick, it's sharp!

Step 29 of 30

Tip 6: Kneading -there are many ways of kneading dough. I use a hand held electric mixer with dough fittings. The dough blade above is great if you use the stretch and fold method.

Step 30 of 30

Tip 7: Storage - The biggest problem I had when I first started making bread was how to store it &, after many tests, I bought a kilogram of brown paper bags off eBay the bread stays crusty & fresh.

You're Done

Check out other guides by this author!

Simon Thomson 🚚

Upton, Poole, UK

eluk.co.uk

HGV Class 1 (C+E) [articulated tanker] lorry driver, photographer & poet

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1.2 Pounds Strong white flour

1 Teaspoon Table Salt

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

10.5 Ounces Warm Water

½ Cups Cold water

25 Grams Fresh Yeast or equivalent.

Hi Jonnie, we use a 2lb loaf tin.

Simon Thomson 🚚 (author) 3 months ago

What size are the pans?

Jonnie Poepoe 3 months ago

Hi @Zach. Let us know how it goes.

Simon Thomson 🚚 (author) last year

Going to try this soon. My roommate has a great recipe for focaccia bread. But it's tough to make sandwiches with. This will work much better I think. :)

Zach Lynn last year

Wonderfully thank you

Karen Larard last year

OK. I have tomorrow off, so I'll see what I can do 🍺

Simon Thomson 🚚 (author) last year

Are there any possibility of you making a guide on how to make ginger beer please

Karen Larard last year

Copenhagen is a beautiful city. I like the idea of making cheese. I think that you'll probably agree with us, you have to be mad to be happy and there is no point in not being happy 👀

Simon Thomson 🚚 (author) last year

My husband and I make cheese, jam and preserves and I bake all our bread. I'm Danish by no fault of my one, my hubby is british by his one fault. We live in Copenhagen. 😄our kids have always known that we are mad.

Karen Larard last year

My wife and I have been accused by our kids (21 & 23 years old) that we have become people who make things! We make Yoghurt, Muesli, Ginger Beer, Bread, Granola, Pizza, Pasta and are both slowly getting larger and larger... it all just tastes too good! 😄

Simon Thomson 🚚 (author) last year

I just love baking😄

Karen Larard last year

Sounds interesting, I'll try this and let you know how it goes

Simon Thomson 🚚 (author) last year

Have you tried to cold raise your bread over night in the fridge? Just add some more water, the flour will absorb more, and reduce yeast to 5 gram, take the dough out in the morning and let it sit at room temp. for 1/2 hour, put in tin and bake when it have doubled in size. Sorry for my bad spelling and abuse of your language

Karen Larard last year

Very true. I have tried 25 minutes up to 45 and, depending on the flour strength, around 30 to 35 minutes seems to work best.

Simon Thomson 🚚 (author) last year

Your tips at the end are grate. With the temp. you are using , you can't bake your bread for too long, the crust will insulate the " core" of the bread, but you can bake it for too short a period and a bread that is " under baked " is just terrible So better safe than sorry and give the bread a good long summer in the oven.

Karen Larard last year

Not a problem, glad you like it :)

Simon Thomson 🚚 (author) last year

thanks for all these great tips at the end!

Brittney Riley last year

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That might work if a) the oven light worked and b) if you don't own a UK cooker... The light is a 5 watt affair which is only just strong enough to glow dimly! Also the light in a UK cooker only comes on if the oven is switched on, no separate switch!

Simon Thomson 🚚 (author) last year