Assignment 20: Maggie Anderson

How to Make Bread

How you make bread depends on the type of bread, any flavorings or filling, and many other variables. But the basics go like this:
1.Measure bread flour into a large bowl.
2. Add salt and yeast. There are two ways to do this but both involve separation. The first is to put the yeast on one side of the bowl and the salt on the other. Other recipes tell you to make a bowl in the center of the flour and put the yeast in that, placing the salt anywhere else.
3. Add warm water, too hot it kills the yeast, too cold the yeast won't activate. It should be body temperature, some people can tell by placing their wrist on the water. If you, like me, lack this talent, use a thermometer.
4. Mix the ingredients into a dough with you fingers, but be careful where you stick your hand it. Nothing feels worse than running your fingertips into a pile of wet salt.
5. When a dough has formed, turn it out onto a tabletop that has been dusted with flour, lots of flour, and knead until it becomes smooth.
6. Let it rise in a warm space, an oven works if it is off and your kitchen is cold, until it has doubled in size, about one hour.
7. Knead again, knocking out air. This is the time to work in any flavorings.
8. Shape the dough however it needs to be, or put it in its baking pan, then let rise for another hour, until doubled in size. NOT in the oven.
9. While it rises, preheat the oven.
10. Put the dough in the oven and bake for however long the recipe says.