Description
Rustic and airy, this loaf bakes perfectly every time. A simple recipe for comforting homemade bread.
Bake a soft loaf and fill your kitchen with warmth.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 7g sachet dried yeast
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 cup warm water
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups plain flour
- 2 cups self-raising flour
- 40g butter, melted
- 1/4 cup plain flour extra (for dusting)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 210°C/410°F (a moderately hot oven). Lightly brush a loaf tin with 40g melted butter or a little oil, so the bread doesn’t stick.
- In a bowl, sprinkle 7g dried yeast and 2 tsp sugar into the warm water (1 cup) and milk (3/4 cup) mixture.
- Stir gently until smooth, then cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit 10–15 minutes until foamy; it should look alive and bubbly.
- Sift 1 ½ cups plain flour and 2 cups self-raising flour into a large mixing bowl.
- Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture along with 40g melted butter.
- Using a scraper or spatula, mix everything together into a soft, slightly sticky dough.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface (use a little of the extra ¼ cup plain flour).
- Knead it for about 5 minutes until it’s smooth but still soft; don’t overdo it, some texture is nice.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl.
- Cover it with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm spot for 15 minutes, until it’s puffed up nicely.
- Punch down the dough gently, then knead again for about 10 minutes until silky smooth.
- Shape it into a loaf and place it in the prepared tin. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave for 10 minutes to rise again.
- Brush the top with a little milk. Using a sharp knife, make four diagonal cuts (around 1.5 cm deep) across the top.
- Dust lightly with a bit of extra flour for that rustic look.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Tap the bottom; it should sound hollow.
- Let it cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
Created, prepared, tried, and tested by Joy
