Bloomer Bread
In this recipe post I will be showing you how I made my first ever loaf of bread.
I decided to go for a bloomer loaf, I do not currently have a bread tin so this seemed to me that it would be the best option. Im not going to lie to you - bread is quite tricky to make and get just right but I enjoyed the overall process and can not wait to make another loaf. As long as you have enough time to do it then go ahead and dive in!
Ingredients:
500 grams of bread flour
2 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of yeast
240ml of water
80ml of water (separate for ease)
2 and 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
Step One:
In a large bowl you want to add in your bread flour, salt and yeast. BUT ensure that the yeast is on one side of the bowl in a little pile and the salt is on the other side of the bowl in a little pile.
Step Two:
Add in the wet ingredients (water and oil) directly in the centre of the bowl and then mix with your hands, this is quite a messy/sticky process but force your way through!
Step Three:
Whilst you are mixing it all together, add in the 80ml of water bit by bit. For this i moved the dough over to one side and put it directly on the bottom of the bowl so that I can ensure that I get the underneath of the dough and do not miss anywhere.
Step Four:
Using a little olive oil on your chopping board, transfer the dough over to the chopping board and begin to knead your dough. I did this until I felt all the ingredients were incorporated in together.
Step Five: Pick the dough up and transfer it back in to a now clean but oiled bowl. Cover and leave it to rise.
This is where it first began to get tricky, up to here it was plain sailing!
So, I covered the bowl and left it alone to rise. I came back an hour later just curious to see where it had gotten to but to my dismay absolutely nothing had happened. I left it another hour, came back and again nothing had happened! I was frantically searching the internet for tips, tricks solutions and an explanation to where i had gone wrong.
I was told it was possible that my yeast was inactive but this could not be true because I had recently bought the yeast.
I was told that maybe I had killed the yeast by using water that was too hot but this could not be true either since I had used cool/luke warm water.
The only possible explanation was that the temperature of the room was not hot enough.
I looked for solutions, one method was the microwave trick. Basically to this you boil some water, pour it into a mug, place the bowl with dough into the microwave along with the mug of boiling water and close the door. You do not turn the microwave on just simply close the door. This is meant to create the ideal environment for your bread to rise, I tried this technique but yet again.. no luck!
I took the dough out of the bowl and give it another knead hoping that if I put some heat back into the dough it might move things along a little, i knead it for a few minutes, placed it back into the bowl and waited again but nothing.
We were sat in the living room with the fire on so I decided to place the bowl on top of my hot water bottle in front of the fire and leave it while we watched an episode of 'better call saul'. I checked again, low and behold it had risen!
Step Six:
Take your now risen dough (I hope it doesn't take you as long as it took me) and place it on to a chopping board that has been lightly floured. begin to knead the dough and then you want to fold and twist the dough. To do this pull the top of the dough, fold it back once, twice and on the third time twist it so that you are coming from the other angle.
Step Seven: Begin to shape your dough into a rectangle.
So I then place the rectangle on to an oiled baking tray, place the baking tray inside a large plastic bag (Make sure to poof up the plastic bag a little so it doesn't press into the dough) Place the tray back on top of my hot water bottle, in front of the fire place with a tea towel over the top.
(Disclaimer - Dont place it to close to the fireplace and do not leave unattended)
If the room hadn't of been so cool I dont think I would have to do all this but I will not be defeated! Within thirty minutes the loaf had risen so much both me and Ethan were in shock!
Step Eight-
Set your oven to 200 degrees celsius and place a tray of water on the very bottom of the oven, the tray of water helps to create steam while the loaf is cooking.
Step Nine-
Cut a few lines into the loaf to give it that bloomer loaf look and re-shape if needed.
smooth flour over the top of the loaf.
Step Ten-
Place the loaf into the oven and allow it took cook for around 25 minutes, then come back and lower the heat down by 20 degrees celsius and leave it to cook more for around 10-15 minutes until it is golden brown.
Step Eleven:
Take the loaf out of the oven and place onto a wire rack while you allow it to cool completely.
I decided to go for a bloomer loaf, I do not currently have a bread tin so this seemed to me that it would be the best option. Im not going to lie to you - bread is quite tricky to make and get just right but I enjoyed the overall process and can not wait to make another loaf. As long as you have enough time to do it then go ahead and dive in!
500 grams of bread flour
2 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of yeast
240ml of water
80ml of water (separate for ease)
2 and 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
Step One:
In a large bowl you want to add in your bread flour, salt and yeast. BUT ensure that the yeast is on one side of the bowl in a little pile and the salt is on the other side of the bowl in a little pile.
Step Two:
Add in the wet ingredients (water and oil) directly in the centre of the bowl and then mix with your hands, this is quite a messy/sticky process but force your way through!
Step Three:
Whilst you are mixing it all together, add in the 80ml of water bit by bit. For this i moved the dough over to one side and put it directly on the bottom of the bowl so that I can ensure that I get the underneath of the dough and do not miss anywhere.
Step Four:
Using a little olive oil on your chopping board, transfer the dough over to the chopping board and begin to knead your dough. I did this until I felt all the ingredients were incorporated in together.
Step Five: Pick the dough up and transfer it back in to a now clean but oiled bowl. Cover and leave it to rise.
This is where it first began to get tricky, up to here it was plain sailing!
So, I covered the bowl and left it alone to rise. I came back an hour later just curious to see where it had gotten to but to my dismay absolutely nothing had happened. I left it another hour, came back and again nothing had happened! I was frantically searching the internet for tips, tricks solutions and an explanation to where i had gone wrong.
I was told it was possible that my yeast was inactive but this could not be true because I had recently bought the yeast.
I was told that maybe I had killed the yeast by using water that was too hot but this could not be true either since I had used cool/luke warm water.
The only possible explanation was that the temperature of the room was not hot enough.
I looked for solutions, one method was the microwave trick. Basically to this you boil some water, pour it into a mug, place the bowl with dough into the microwave along with the mug of boiling water and close the door. You do not turn the microwave on just simply close the door. This is meant to create the ideal environment for your bread to rise, I tried this technique but yet again.. no luck!
I took the dough out of the bowl and give it another knead hoping that if I put some heat back into the dough it might move things along a little, i knead it for a few minutes, placed it back into the bowl and waited again but nothing.
We were sat in the living room with the fire on so I decided to place the bowl on top of my hot water bottle in front of the fire and leave it while we watched an episode of 'better call saul'. I checked again, low and behold it had risen!
Step Six:
Take your now risen dough (I hope it doesn't take you as long as it took me) and place it on to a chopping board that has been lightly floured. begin to knead the dough and then you want to fold and twist the dough. To do this pull the top of the dough, fold it back once, twice and on the third time twist it so that you are coming from the other angle.
Step Seven: Begin to shape your dough into a rectangle.
So I then place the rectangle on to an oiled baking tray, place the baking tray inside a large plastic bag (Make sure to poof up the plastic bag a little so it doesn't press into the dough) Place the tray back on top of my hot water bottle, in front of the fire place with a tea towel over the top.
(Disclaimer - Dont place it to close to the fireplace and do not leave unattended)
If the room hadn't of been so cool I dont think I would have to do all this but I will not be defeated! Within thirty minutes the loaf had risen so much both me and Ethan were in shock!
Step Eight-
Set your oven to 200 degrees celsius and place a tray of water on the very bottom of the oven, the tray of water helps to create steam while the loaf is cooking.
Step Nine-
Cut a few lines into the loaf to give it that bloomer loaf look and re-shape if needed.
smooth flour over the top of the loaf.
Place the loaf into the oven and allow it took cook for around 25 minutes, then come back and lower the heat down by 20 degrees celsius and leave it to cook more for around 10-15 minutes until it is golden brown.
Step Eleven:
Take the loaf out of the oven and place onto a wire rack while you allow it to cool completely.
Enjoy!
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