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Bread Baking 101 – The Path To A Loaf Worthy Of A Paul Hollywood Handshake

Sep 13, 2019 | Neff, Neff News

The Great British Bake Off is back! With two contestants having already left the tent, in just the third week of the competition the bakers were thrown into one of the toughest challenges, Bread Week. With many feeling the highs of getting through the first two rounds, this was an ideal way for the judges to bring them back to down to Earth!

That being said against all the odds this week also delivered the first coveted Hollywood Handshake of the series, with Micheal’s Indian influenced Signature tear and share wowing the notoriously hard-to-please Paul. This set the scene for him to be awarded Star Baker this week, although the technical challenge was something very few succeeded in, with burger baps proving difficult for all but the most skilled contestants.

So why is bread such a minefield, even for Britain’s best amateur bakers? With this week’s seemingly simple tasks causing many to fall down, in this article we will explore just why bread making is so difficult to get right, then follow up with great starter recipe that would be enough to follow in Michael’s steps in this week’s episode and garner your very own Hollywood Handshake!

Image result for great british bake off bread week

Why Is Bread So Difficult?

It is often said that in the world of the culinary arts there are two distinct areas that actually require very different approaches.  Cooking is an art that requires more than just chopping skills and knowledge of flavours and baking is about science and precision, it’s no wonder that all but the very finest chefs struggle to master both arts!

However, of all the baked goods, bread is certainly the main Achilles heel of many. A lot of this falls into the fact that every time you bake your loaf will be a little bit different, it could be the temperature of the room during proofing, the reaction of the yeast whilst mixing or the gluten not being fully relaxed when baking. Honestly, there are endless ways your loaf could go wrong! Experience will help you troubleshoot the main offenders when it comes to baking a perfect bread, at the end of this article we will even breakdown the most common issues help you improve the end product to something that has a great, crunchy crust and a delicate crumb inside.

The Two Secrets Of Bread Baking

While perfection is seldom achieved with the first few loaves you bake, the actual steps to creating a simple bread are easy. That being said it means one thing to follow a recipe and another altogether to understand what each of the key steps is designed to do to your dough and turn it into something you would be happy to show-off not just eat! Before we set off and begin creating your new Signature loaf lets explore what the two secrets of outstanding bread are.

Fermentation & Gluten Development

The first stages of creation are designed to do two things, initiate the fermentation of your dough and encourage gluten development throughout. Depending on what type of loaf you are creating you may ferment first, for more advanced breads like sourdough this is certainly the case, however, this is breadmaking 101 so let’s stick to the usual process, that is mixing then kneading.

It may seem obvious but mixing incorporates all of your ingredients together. While it’s almost harder to not mix your ingredients well during the making of your bread if you’ve ever accidentally eaten raw flour you will know why it is so important! Incorporating your yeast may involve using warm water to activate it, however, while many hold one type above the rest, there is little to show that any of the many types of yeast produce a superior end product.

Put simply fermentation makes your bread full of air. When fed with warm air the bacteria convert the sugars in the bread dough into carbon dioxide, which then fills the cells to produce a lighter, less dense crumb. In order to do this, the dough does need oxygen, so placing your unproved dough in an airtight container will hinder growth.

Achieving a soft and delicate crumb is down to gluten. Fermentation will lead to some gluten development, however kneading is where this is truly made! Getting involved and getting your hands floury is absolutely key as well as keeping a hydrated dough, consider gluten to be a net that holds the dough together, and the more your work the dough the more strands your net gets making it softer and more pliable. Any dough will need at least five minutes hard graft to get the gluten going and get your bread that perfect structure.

Equipment

The equipment you use is also a key factor in why so many of us struggle to recreate fantastic loaves of bread we see on our favourite cooking shows, with the oven chief among the many offenders. Your loaf is doomed to failure before you have even started kneading if you don’t have the tools to do the job!

Stand Mixer

A great stand mixer is an absolute godsend when it comes to working your dough, whilst not quite an essential you will certainly be less sweaty and less messy after a mornings baking! Using the correct dough hook attachment on your machine can mean the grunt work is taken away, although some purists will hate the idea of ‘cheating’ with a machine you cannot knock anything that makes homemade bread any easier!

Scales

Remember when we said cooking is art and baking a science? Well, science requires precision, and to be as precise as possible you need to have a great set of scales for portioning your flour correctly. Even Paul Hollywood himself would dare not make a dough without first weighing his ingredients! Digital or traditional you really cannot go wrong, just make sure your scales are as accurate as possible.

A Great Oven

Even the best baker’s signature loaf can all fall to pieces with a poor oven, inconsistent temperatures and letting the precious hot air escape are the key culprits here. If your oven has a steam option then using this can help produce a crisp outer crust more consistently, alternatively, you can fill a baking tray with some water and place it on the bottom rack. If you’re looking for the perfect oven can you doubt what Britain’s finest home bakers use? In this series of Great British Bake Off, you will notice the contestants using a NEFF oven with the signature Slide&Hide door that makes checking, adding and removing your bread even easier. Many models come ready-made for baking perfect bread, with steam functions that can be paired with the dedicated bread baking function.

N 70 Built-in oven Stainless steel B57CR22N0B B57CR22N0B-4

Ingredients

You would usually expect any recipe or guide to preach the benefits of expensive, organic ingredients to achieve a fantastic result. However, when baking even the most complicated of breads it is rarely the case that you can effectively buy success, once again baking is a science! Therefore where you can really make an impact is the measuring and method you use to create your bread, meaning while hard to master it is certainly not an expensive hobby to pursue.

Flour

When it comes to flour and you’re looking to get started with your baking career, go with all-purpose. Sparing the exact science behind why this is your best option for almost all bread bakes, using all-purpose ensures your results are somewhat consistent and all means you have versatile flour to use on other bakes. The nutritional value of this is slightly less than other alternatives, but it is really the only drawback! All flour is milled and bleached in the same way so going for a supermarket own brand is more than fine.

Yeast

Even more carefree than our attitude to flour selection is which yeast to choose for your bread. As we are purely focusing on baking a great starter loaf, let’s focus on the most common two types of yeast which are Instant and Active Dried. Neither yields particularly more successful results than the other, the former can be added straight in at the mixing sage whilst Active Dried needs to be introduced to warm water to ‘wake up’ before being added.

Ensuring your yeast is alive is also key, storing as per the instructions and watching the best before dates are the best ways to do this. With Active yeast, it may be tricky to tell if it is alive before adding, whilst the Active Dried will give a telltale bubble when alive and well.

Salt

Keep the salt simple, as with the other ingredients, sticking with table salt is usually best. The main qualifier for your bread is that it dissolves easily into the dough, avoid the coarse sea salt until you are all done and want to add some flavour! Don’t be afraid to add the salt at mixing stage though, as we saw on GBBO with multiple contestants failing to keep the salt levels correct, it’s essential to giving the right taste to your bread.

The Perfect Beginner’s Bread Recipe 

To get you started on your bread baking journey to acquire the coveted Hollywood Handshake we’ve got the perfect recipe! This crusty white loaf would be at home in any sandwich, or as the ideal for some poached eggs, it really is versatile and delicious the perfect first-time bake.

Ingredients

– 1000 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the worktops and for kneading
– 700 grams room-temperature water
– 22 grams table salt
– One of: 4 grams Instant Yeast or 5 grams Active Yeast
– Oil, for greasing (Vegetable, canola and any neutral flavoured oil are all fine)

Method

Opt. If you are using Active Dry yeast introduce to warm water to activate, 50ml should be enough

1. Combine all of the flour and water, minus the 50ml if using Active Dry yeast. If using a stand mixer set to a low speed and let the machine do the work! Use a dough hook and work until it is uniform. Otherwise, use a mixing bowl and a spatula by hand until a dough forms. Cover and let the dough rest for between 15 minutes and up to an hour.

2. Add the table salt and the yeast then mix either on low speed or by hand depending on if you are using a stand mixer. Do this until fully incorporated and the dough smooth.

3. If you are using a stand mixer you can turn up the speed for a few minutes to really work the dough and make it extra springy. Otherwise, give it a harder mix by hand!

4. Oil your hands when transporting the dough to an oiled mixing bowl to cover, leave for 30 minutes then fold over and re-cover. About an hour and later your dough should have doubled in size.

5. Oil a work surface and lay out the dough, then divide into two pieces. You can use flour if you wish but if too much is absorbed in then your dough’s consistency may be affected. Dust the tops of your two dough balls with flour, cover with a towel and leave for 15 minutes.

6. The dough may have grown out of shape when you return, reshape by folding in on itself to create a smooth top. Once shaped leave for 5 minutes before transferring smooth side down into a bowl lined with a linen tea towel. As long as it is clean and not a fluffy kitchen towel you will be fine! Leave in a cool place for around an hour and a half or until your dough has doubled in size.

7. If your oven has a dedicated bread baking and steam function like you find on a NEFF oven, set it to this programme and pre-heat to 260 degrees. Otherwise, use a non-convection function and set to the same, you can use a cast iron pot to achieve a similar finish as dedicated baking.

8. Turn one loaf onto a preheated, oiled baking tray (or cast iron pot) with the smooth side facing upwards. Score the loaf with a pairing knife, less is more! Three scores at most should achieve the signature bloom we want. Spritz the dough with a light mist of water, if not using steam in your oven, to prevent a burnt outer crust.

9. Bake for 15 minutes then turn down your oven to 230, then bake for another 30 minutes. If using a cast-iron pot remove the lid for the final 15 to get a browned finish.

10. Turn out your loaf on to a cooling rack, if you using the cast-iron pot then do not leave to fully cool whilst your bread is still housed! Leave to fully cool, or for around an hour.

11. Repeat steps 7-10 for your second loaf, adjusting times based on the first

There we have it! In a little over 10 steps you’ve just created a bread worthy of any bakery, if you nailed it the first time then you are truly destined for greatness in the world of bread! Otherwise, there may be a few areas to work out, but don’t worry this blog isn’t just going to leave you in the dark on what went wrong. Let’s run through some classic issues with bread baking and troubleshoot the ideal solutions so your next loaf is perfect.

Troubleshooting

Misshapen Shape – If your loaf has come out lopsided and bursting it can mean one of a few things. The most likely candidate is cooking too soon after shaping, not allowing the gluten to relax. If your crumb, the interior of the bread, is more densely packed in the middle then this is certainly the case.

Burst Top – If your bread almost looks like it has exploded in the oven then your scoring needs to be more thorough, remember it isn’t just decorative but designed to let steam pour out. Add an extra score to your next loaf and see if this helps.

Collapsed In The Middle – If the bread has flattened and lost its shape altogether then you have probably over-proofed. Remember the proofing stage is to add some air, if you go too far the other way then the air will affect the structure of your bread. You may also want to score less as it could mean your bread is letting too much air out during the baking process.

Flour In The Bread – If you have bits of unincorporated flour then you either have not mixed enough after creating the dough, common for hand working it. Otherwise, if you used flour when kneading it has incorporated in, to solve this use less flour or substitute it for oil.

Sour Taste – This a common issue, this means you have used too much yeast. Scale back next time to ensure your loaf is edible!

There we have it, the full Bread Baking 101! This extensive guide has hopefully shed light not only on how to create the perfect loaf but also on what the key pieces of information you need to know to create a consistent loaf. For many mastery of one type of bread is key before you broaden your horizons to different flours and techniques to achieve more unique loaf types.

Invest the time and effort in your bread and before you know it Paul Hollywood himself will be offering you one of his famous handshakes!