I have so far have not bake a sandwich loaf or plain bread before because I was a little worry that it might not turn up as good as I wanted it to be.
I decided to just make half of the recipe and continue to measure up the flour, salt, yeast, sugar in half portion and pour everything into the mixer and continue to measure the warm water but I forgot to half it and pour immediately into the flour...... amigosh......too wet. Oh my, so I have no choice to measure the other half of the flour, salt, yeast and sugar into the mixer again.
Plain and Simple White Bread (Delia Smith)
Recipe source from Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids
Original recipe from Delia Smith
Ingredients
(700 g) strong white bread flour, plus a little extra for the top of the bread
1 level tbsp salt, or less, according to taste
1 level tsp easy-blend dried yeast
1 level tsp golden caster sugar (I used normal white caster sugar)
425 ml hand-hot water
You will also need two 1 lb (450 g) loaf tins or one 2 lb (900 g) loaf tin, well buttered.
* I only used ONE loaf pan with measurement of 6" x 10"
Method
Begin by warming the flour in the oven for about 10 mins, then turn the oven off. (I didn't do this)
Sift the flour, salt, yeast and sugar into a bowl, make a well in the center of the mixture, then add the water. Now mix to a dough, starting off with a wooden spoon and using your hands in the final stages of mixing, adding a spot more water if there are any dry bits. Wipe the bowl clean with the dough and transfer it to a flat work surface (you may not need to flour this). Knead the dough for 3 mins or until it develops a sheen and blisters under the surface (it should also be springy and elastic). You can now either return the dough to the mixing bowl or transfer it to a clean bowl; either way, cover it with clingfilm that has been lightly oiled on the side that is facing the dough. Leave it until it looks as though it has doubled in bulk, which will be about 2 hrs at room temperature.
After that, knock the air out, then knead again for 2 mins. Now divide the dough in half, pat each piece out to an oblong, then fold one end into the center and the other in on top. Put each one into a buttered tin, sprinkle each with a dusting of flour, then place them side by side in an oiled polythene bag until the dough rises above the tops of the tins – this time about an hour at room temperature. Alternatively, place all the dough in the one tin. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven 230°C.
Bake the loaf on the center shelf for 30-40 mins, until they sound hollow when their bases are tapped. Now return them, out of their tins, upside-down to the oven to crisp the base and side crust for about 5 mins, then cool on a wire rack.
