Homemade bread

Important tips – make a big difference

I would like to share with you 4 very importants tips that I have learned baking my own bread for more than 10 years.
First I need to tell you I use dried yeast, I have a kneading machine and an oven.

• 1. when you mix your yeast with water, be sure your water is around 37°c. Mesure the Temperature ones and testes it with your fingers and you will never forget next time.
• 2. And a little tsp of sugar in the yeast.
• 3. Don’t forget to put a hot damp kitchen towel on your bowl as you wait 1h30 for the dough to arise twice its size.
• 4. Just before putting your bread in the pre-heated oven (230°) steam it by adding boiling water in an oven-proof recipient at the base of your oven. Don’t dare open your oven for the next 15 min.

Here the recipe I follow very often:

Ingredients

330 g water
10 g fresh yeast, crumbled or 1 tsp dried instant yeast
500 g bread’s flour, plus extra for dusting
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar

100 g hot water
Oil, for greasing

Recipe for 3 small Baguettes

Place water (tips 1) at 37°c, (tips 2) 1/2 tsp of sugar and yeast into mixing bowl. Meanwhile, lightly grease a large bowl and set aside.
Add flour and salt and knead 2 min at least. Transfer dough into prepared bowl. (tips 3) Cover bowl with a hot damp kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in size (approx 1h1/2 hours).

On a lightly floured surface, use a large knife to seperate dough into three equal pieces. Gently flatten and roll each piece loosely into a log shape and set aside on a lightly floured surface. Dust rolls lightly with flour, cover with a hot damp kitchen towel again and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Again, gently flatten each piece of dough into a rectangle, taking care to preserve the air bubbles trapped within. Roll dough again into a log shape. Pinch seam of roll with your fingers to seal. Elongate roll into a baguette shape, rolling back and forth exerting gentle pressure from the middle of the baguette to its ends. Place baguettes seam-side down onto baking paper, pulling up paper between baguettes to create a low wall.
20 minutes before end of rising time, place 2 baking trays into lower part of oven, one tray on the lowest rung, the other on a rung above. Preheat oven to 230°C.
Prepare approx. 100 g very hot water in a cup. (tips 4) Slide baguettes, together with baking paper, onto the top preheated baking tray. Quickly but also carefully splash the hot water onto the lower baking tray to create steam and immediately close oven door to trap the steam. Bake for 20 minutes (230°C), or until dark golden brown. If baguettes seem quite brown before end of baking time, reduce oven temperature to 230°C. Allow baguettes to cool for 20 minutes before slicing.