Classic bread loaf

Variations

• Sun-dried tomato bread or focaccia: At step 1 Add 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs to the basic recipe. Replace spread with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. At step 6, punch down dough and add 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped. Work into dough by kneading, using a little extra flour if necessary. Shape dough into an oval. Leave to rise. Once risen, make small indentations in dough using knuckles. Spray with a little olive oil and bake for 25-30 minutes. Half-way through cooking, scatter with another 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes. Serve sprinkled with fresh basil.
• Onion and cheese bread: At step 3 Once you have added water, add 1/2 small onion (finely chopped, cooked in a little oil, and cooled), to basic ingredients with 1-2 teaspoons dried sage. Before baking, sprinkle 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese on top of loaf. Bake for 30 minutes.
• Gluten-free raisin and cinnamon bread: Place 500g Simple Gluten Free bread mix in a bowl with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 3 tablespoons raisins. Mix yeast with 450ml warm water. Add to bread mix. Use an electric beater to mix ingredients for about 3 minutes until the mixture is smooth. Transfer dough to a lightly greased loaf tin. Cover and leave to rise for 30-40 minutes. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown. Brush with 2 tablespoons honey before serving.

HFG tip

The proving of the bread dough relies on warm conditions so here are a few tips to help create the ideal environment.

• Keep the kitchen as warm as possible – preheating the oven will help.
• Make sure all ingredients are warm before you start. The water needs to be warm, not hot, for yeast to work.
• Make sure all the utensils are warm before you start.
• How long your bread takes to rise will vary depending on how warm your kitchen is. If you make bread during summer, the proving process could be much faster.
• Cook loaves in the centre of your oven.
• If using dried, granulated yeast, use 2 teaspoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar. Sprinkle sugar over warm water first, then sprinkle in dried yeast. Set aside for 15 minutes until frothy. Add to flour at step 3.