The easiest bread recipe in the world
Hello!
I have a hypothetical scenario for the bread experts out there.
Let's say you knew someone who was content with his store-bought sandwich loaf. Perhaps he acknowledges that homemade bread is better, but thinks that it's just not worth the time and effort.
And let's say that you wanted to convince him otherwise. What bread recipe would you have him make?
I'm thinking of the easiest sandwich bread recipe you could possibly image. Since it's a sandwich loaf I would imagine that it would be between 55-70% hydration. Our friend has no mixer and no fancy equipment just a bowl, some scales, a wooden spoon and a loaf tin. He can't even be bothered to mix the ingredients (it's so messy, the flour sticks to the bowl, etc.), let alone knead the dough! Nor does he want to worry about timing the fermentations and prove just right so that he avoids a flat loaf, or excessive oven spring leading to tearing, etc. Not to mention complicated shaping techniques!
A simple recipe and as long as possible shelf life would definitely take precedence over flavor here. After all, we're competing against store-bought bread – anything homemade is going to be better!
I've got my own ideas but I'm just a bread newbie. I'd love to know what ideas you guys have.
Cheers,
Tom
http://leitesculinaria.com/93789/recipes-5-minute-artisan-bread.html/print
but you could try the "bread in a bag" recipes. The basic concept is that all the mixing is done in a large plastic bag and thus no (or limited) mess. Not environmentally friendly, but rather fun and good for Girl Scout meetings. For your friend, you could gift him the dry ingredients mixed together in the bag with the yeast on the side and tell him to mix in the liquid ones. This is a very non-intimidating way to make a first loaf. There are hundreds of recipes out there. I don't remember which one we used but it called for rapid rise yeast which I think gave an overly yeasty and funky taste to the finished product.
trying to make a batter store bought bread at home is that to make one of the same style required eggs and butter (or some fat and intensive mixing, Since your friend wants better, yet easier bread I think you will be stumped. Even no knead required mixing. But If he would like a simple FWSY kind of non enriched bread, I would think that no knead is the way to go but it does have mixing. I'm thinking the idea of no mixing runs counter to every bread recipe.
I'm thinking he needs a bread machine where he can buy pre mixed bread and just dump it in add the liquid and hit a button would be best
Happy no mixing
to convince someone to bake their own bread when they think their store bought is good enough and they are content. They will decide what they like.
Trying to do otherwise without proper motivation will only lead to a disaster and proof that their point is well taken.
as you are an amazing baker, Mini.
This isn't award winning bread but it's a good basic bread that always works for me when I have little time to do any intermediate processing, or demoing to a friend at their house, etc.
You do need scales and a big bowl though.
mix 500g strong bread flour with a sachet of instant dried yeast and a level teaspoon of salt.
Add 300g of cold water.
Mix with one hand - keep the other clean to turn the bowl, answer door/phone, etc.. When mixed turn out onto the worktop and mix a little more by pushing about half the dough away from you, then sort of scrape/pull it back and lump it on-top. Push out again, maybe in a different direction to sort of turn the dough. Do this 3 or 4 times.
(total time so-far: 5 minutes)
Pull/scrape it back into a heap use something blunt like a spoon to scrape the dough off your hand and put the upturned bowl over it.
Go and make a cup of tea, or do something that will take about 15 minutes. (at least 10 and no more than 20)
You'll find you now have a pile of soft dough. (time: 20 minutes)
Repeat the pushing/mixing process - you'll find it gets stiffer. Transfer back into the bowl, cover and leave for an hour or so until it looks like its double in size, but as long as its risen some way then it'll probably be OK.
Under 1.5 hours at this point.
Dust a bit of flour on the worktop and gently coax the risen dough out onto the worktop on-top of the flour. Gently flatten it a bit into a sort of long rectangle/oval shape up and down the table then start at the top (furthest edge) roll it towards you - you're aiming for a roll the same width as the tin.
Transfer to the tin seam down if you remember. (up to 1h30m now) dust a little flour on the top of the dough in the tin and cover with a cloth. Leave in a draft-free place for up to an hour or doubled in size. (up to 2h30m now)
Turn the oven on up to 230C
When the dough in the tin has risen/doubled, put it in the oven. Leave it in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until its golden brown on-top and sounds hollow.
Tip out of the tin onto a cooling rack. House will now be full of the smell of fresh bread. Resist cutting as long as you can, then go for it :-)
(If you can leave it to cool completely then it will last longer)
Yes, there is no kneading required, other than a bit of pushing the dough about to mix it. It will need this mixing step - however if you wanted to do it in the bowl with a spoon, then that'll work too. Just leave it in the bowl and cover the bowl. You will get a window pane after the first 15 minutes if that concerns you. For slightly longer shelf-life and a bit of a slant to the flavour, mix in a glug or 2 of olive oil after first mixing it.
Simples.
For something even simpler that takes 40 minutes make soda bread. You don't even need to weigh anything.
-Gordon
What's the point - if he's happy with shop bread then there's no hope for him. You get out what you put in with bread (and life in general).
Cheers
Don't start with bread. Start with rolls.
This KAF recipe is the easiest I have ever seen. I made numerous rookie mistakes the first time I made it - including forgetting the butter and only adding it (melted) after the 1st rise. EXTREMELY forgiving. And I think rolls are easier to shape than bread. I make 45g to 50g balls of dough and pull the skin down to the bottom as if trying to get cat hair off an inflated balloon - pull it over the surface down to the "knot" at the bottom. Easy and works really well for me.