Quickyeastbread Recipes

WORLD'S EASIEST YEAST BREAD RECIPE - ARTISAN, NO KNEAD

Steps:

• Mix Dough: Mix flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add water, then use the handle of a wooden spoon to mix until all the flour is incorporated. Dough will be wet and sloppy - not kneadable, but not runny like cake batter. Adjust with more water or flour if needed for right consistency (see video at 17 sec, Note 5).
• Rise: Cover with cling wrap or plate, leave on counter for 2 - 3 hours until it doubles in volume, it's wobbly like jelly and the top is bubbly (see video at 24 seconds). If after 1 hour it doesn't seem to be rising, move it somewhere warmer (Note 6).
• Optional - refrigerate for flavour development (Note 9): At this stage, you can either bake immediately (move onto Step 5) or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• Take chill out of refrigerated dough - if you refrigerated dough per above, leave the bowl on the counter for 45 - 60 minutes while the oven is preheating. Cold dough does not rise as well.
• Preheat oven (Note 7) - Put dutch oven in oven with lid on (26cm/10" or larger). Preheat to 230°C/450°F (220° fan) 30 minutes prior to baking. (Note 8 for no dutch oven)
• Shape dough: Sprinkle work surface with 1 tbsp flour, scrape dough out of bowl. Sprinkle top with 1/2 tbsp flour.
• Using a dough scraper or anything of similar shape (cake server, large knife, spatula), fold the sides inwards (about 6 folds) to roughly form a roundish shape. Don't be too meticulous here - you're about to deform it, it's more about deflating the bubbles in the dough and forming a shape you can move.
• Transfer to paper: Slide a large piece of parchment/baking paper (not wax paper) next to the dough, then flip the dough upside down onto the paper (ie seam side down, smooth side up). Slide/push it towards the middle, then reshape it into a round(ish) shape. Don't get too hung up about shape. In fact, lopsided = more ridges = more crunchy bits!
• Dough in pot: Remove piping hot dutch oven from oven. Use paper to place dough into pot, place lid on.
• Bake 30 minutes covered, then 12 minutes uncovered or until deep golden and crispy.
• Cool on rack for 10 minutes before slicing.

YEAST BREAD

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients. You can make the bread by hand or use a stand mixer with a dough hook to speed up the process.
• Place the dried yeast in a small jug, add the sugar, and 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water. Stir and put to one side. Keep checking the jug and within 10 minutes, it should be bubbling and foamy. If it is not, leave a little longer, the speed is often dependent on the ambient air temperature; on a cold day, it can take longer.
• Put the flour and butter into a large baking bowl. Add the salt and once the yeast is foaming, add this to the bowl and gently stir with a spoon until everything is combined.
• Add half the remaining lukewarm water and mix with your fingers, then gradually add more water a little at a time until you have a soft but not sticky dough. The precise amount of water you will need depends on several things, including the flour you are using, sometimes even the weather. The most important thing is to stop once the dough once it is as described above.
• Now is the time to knead the dough . You can use a stand mixer for 6 to 8 minutes or knead on the work surface as follows. Gather the dough into a ball and fold it in half towards you. Press down and away from you firmly, but lightly with the heels of your hands. Turn dough 1/4 turn and repeat process. Do this for about 4 or 5 minutes, working quickly until the dough is smooth and stretchy. It is ready when it is soft and pliable without any stickiness.
• Using a little olive oil, lightly grease a clean mixing bowl and put the dough in. Cover the bowl with a towel and set in a warm spot to proof , this will take about an hour. Once doubled, press fingers gently into the dough and the indentation will remain when you remove your fingers.
• Line a baking sheet with either a silicone mat or paper. Scrape the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and knock out the air by quickly kneading for a few turns. Once flattened, roll up the dough, turn 45 degrees, and roll up again. Do this twice more the gently smooth the dough into a loaf shape.
• Put the loaf onto the baking tray, cover again with a damp towel, and leave to prove for another hour.
• Preheat the oven to 425 F.
• Remove the cloth, sprinkle a little flour over the surface of the bread, and ever so gently rub it in with losing any air or height from the loaf. With a thin, sharp knife, slash the surface, no more than a quarter-inch deep, 3 or 4 times, then criss-cross the opposite creating a diamond pattern.
• Bake in the center of the hot oven for 30 minutes until beautifully risen and golden brown. You will know the bread is cooked when it makes a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom. Note: If you want a crustier loaf, read the notes below on adding steam to your oven.
• Remove from the oven and leave to go cold on a cooling rack. Eats with lots of butter and enjoy. The bread is best eaten fresh the day it is made, though it does make delicious toast. The loaf also freezes well, defrost slowly overnight in the fridge when you want to eat it.

QUICK YEAST BREAD

Steps:

• Put 4 cups of the flour, yeast, sugar and salt into large bowl.
• Pour in hot water and oil and mix until combined- it will be sticky.
• Add the remaining flour in increments until dough is no longer sticky.
• Knead for about 5 minutes until dough is elastic and smooth.
• Place dough back into bowl and cover with a damp teatowel and let it rise until double its size- about 1/2 hour.
• Punch it down and divide dough into two pieces.
• Roll pieces long enough to fill two well oiled loaf pans and leave to rise until dough has reached the rim of the pan.
• Bake at 400F for 40 minutes.
• Rub hot breads with water and wrap in a teatowel to'sweat' to soften the crust.

SUPER-QUICK NO-KNEAD BREAD

Steps:

• Mix all dry ingredients together.
• Add water and stir in until a really sticky dough has formed.
• Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place to rise.
• Punch down and divide dough into two balls.
• If you are using the cracked wheat, roll the dough balls in the cracked wheat now.
• Place into well greased pans and bake at 400F for 1 hour.
• Cook's note: No need for a second rising as the bread rises perfectly in the oven on baking.