Basic Bread

Foreword

Chris is a breadivore. Tired of spending money on bread, Ida got him a bread machine. After many iterations, Chris settled in to this recipe.

Ingredients

• 277ml (~1 cup and 2 ⅔ Tbsp) warm water
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 7g (~1 Tbsp) flaxseed meal
• 50g (6 Tbsp) nonfat dry milk
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 500g (~4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• Optional: ½ tsp citric acid

Directions

1. Add warm water and yeast to a mixing bowl and allow it to bloom for around 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients in order.
3. Mix until the dough passes the windowpane test (or use the dough setting of a bread machine and skip to step 5).
4. Cover with plastic wrap (or similar) and proof until doubled in volume (~1 hour in a 92°F proofing setting of an oven).
5. Apply parchment paper to baking sheets.
6. Shape as desired but pull it out a bit so that it’s a little flat (it will rise).
7. Cover again and continue proofing until doubled in volume (~30 minutes).
8. Uncover and bake at 500°F for 5 minutes.
9. Lower the temperature to 350°F and bake until the bread’s internal temperature is 190°F (around 10 to 15 minutes if done as a medium size loaf or adjacent hot dog bugs).
10. Allow the bread to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before turning out or otherwise moving.

Notes

This bread is a great base for many things like rolls, buns, or loafs. Bake it with a wash and sesame seeds, or add chopped rosemary to the dough.

Including the citric acid gives the bread a slight “sourdough” taste.

For an extra crispy crust, spray the loaf with a mist of water and add a cup or two of boiling water to the bottom of the oven as you insert the bread in order to create steam. Then, after the bread has been turned out, place it back in the oven on a wire rack (with the oven off), cracking the door a few inches and allowing the bread to cool down with the oven.