Name: Beginners Artisan White Bread Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 135 grams Strong white flour; 95 ml water; 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 pinch dried yeast; 1 pinch salt; 400 grams strong white flour; 280 ml warm water; 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 tsp dried yeast; 1 tsp salt; pre-ferment

Beginners bread recipe served with butter

A simple loaf that went down a storm with everyone.

A homemade artisan bread recipe that’s ideal for the novice baker

One of my biggest regrets as a cook is that I didn’t learn to bake bread earlier in my career.

For too many years I believed making artisan bread was a complicated business. A dark art that demanded years of sweat and toil before even the most gifted apprentice was ready to fill his master’s breadmaking clogs.

The day our local artisan baker retired changed all that.

Our restaurant’s supply of good bread was cut off. The plastic industrial loaves weren’t any substitute. There was no alternative, I had to learn to bake bread to match the fresh, traditional cuisine the restaurant was known for.

And to my surprise, it wasn’t that difficult.

For over five years our kitchen baked bread for the restaurant and then for our Deli. This white bread recipe was our first daily bake. A simple loaf that went down a storm with everyone.

On the day it’s baked it’s amazing! And it’s great fresh for two or three days after. But toasted – Wow! Incredible.

It’s the bread recipe I wish I’d had when I was a young chef.

Its simplicity would have tempted me to try it. The amazing results would have instantly given confidence and joy to my baking. And it would have kicked off my breadmaking career many years sooner.

I do not claim to be a master baker. I’ll never win a prize for my beautifully platted loaves or the delicacy of my croissants.

But I can make a delicious loaf of bread – and so can you!

Enjoy!

FYI Every technique used to make this loaf is explained in detail here.

Beginners Artisan White Bread Recipe

movementandnutrition.co.uk

This loaf is the perfect introduction to breadmaking.

The recipe introduces all the basic hand techniques you need to make fantastic bread. Yet the dough is forgiving in the hands of a novice. No loaf will flop and your worst attempt will be better than any shop-bought alternative.

And it's a loaf that's sure to be a favourite with all the family.

Hang up your reticence, roll up your sleeves and give it ago – you won’t regret it!

Step-by-step instructions for all the hand technique used in the recipe here

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 35 mins

Proving time 18 hrs

Total Time 55 mins

Course Bread

Cuisine British, Scottish

Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

Pre-ferment

135 grams Strong white flour
95 ml water
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pinch dried yeast
1 pinch salt

Final Dough

400 grams strong white flour
280 ml warm water
3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried yeast
1 tsp salt
pre-ferment

Instructions

Pre-ferment

Weigh the flour into a large bowl
Make a well in the centre
Sprinkle the salt around the outside edge of the flour avoiding the well in the centre
Add the pinch of yeast into the well
Stir with a cutlery knife slowly incorporating the flour into the water
When the flour and water mix is too heavy for your knife, briefly work the dough with your fingers until it forms a ball
Cover with cling film and leave overnight at room temperature

Final Dough

Mix the dried yeast into the warm water
Weigh the flour into a bowl with the salt and olive oil
Add the pre-ferment in walnut sized pieces
Pour in the water and yeast mix
Use your fingers to blend the dough together
Scrape the dough from the bowl onto your kitchen table
Knead the dough for 10 minutes
Return the dough to the bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place to prove for 2 hours. Fold the dough once approximately midway through the prove
Turn the dough onto your table and pre-shape it
Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 5 minutes on the worktop
Shape your dough into your desired loaf – round, bloomer or loaf tin
Place on an oiled baking sheet or in your loaf tin
Return to the warm place for final proving of ¾-1¼ hours

Baking

Preheat your oven to 240˚C /465˚F with a heavy roasting tin on the bottom shelf
2 minutes before baking moisten your oven with ice cubes
Score your loaf
Put your loaf on the oven's middle shelf
Pour a cup of boiling water into the roasting tray before you close the oven door. (Take care to protect your hands and face, steam can scald)
After 15 minutes your loaf should have started to colour and reached its maximum volume. Carefully remove the roasting tray
Don't fully close the oven door. Leave the oven door very slightly ajar for the rest of the baking time
Bake for a further 25-30 minutes
When ready remove your bread and cool on a wire rack