Baking by hand

Despite the huge popularity of bread machines, traditional hand baking remains a very popular way to produce home baked bread and can produce a huge variety of breads, rolls, sweet breads and speciality loaves. There's nothing quite like getting your hands in the dough and crafting a beautiful homemade loaf - there's got to be something to it, otherwise bread making would have gone out of fashion years ago!

If you enjoy baking by hand, or fancy trying it out for the first time, then we recommend following the steps below for making a classic white bread loaf. Remember that the mixing and kneading can always be done in a mixer or food processor with a dough hook which means you can spend your time and effort on shaping the bread and making it into something really special.

Hand baking recipe - Allinson Easy Bake Yeast
Method Using Easy Bake Yeast

Ingredients:
650g/1lb 5oz Allinson Strong White Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar
1 x 7 g sachet Allinson Easy Bake Yeast
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
400ml/14fl oz Warm Water

1. Place the flour, salt and sugar in a warm bowl.
2. Stir in the Easy Bake Yeast.
3. Mix to a soft dough with the oil and water.
4. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.
5. Shape as desired and put into an appropriate greased tin.
6. Leave to prove (rise) slowly until double in size.
7. Add you chosen topping/glaze if using.
8. Place in an oven preheated to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7 and
immediately turn the heat down to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
9. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes.
10. Remove from the oven and turn on to a wire tray. When
cooked the loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Hand baking recipe Allinson Traditional Dried Active Yeast

Method Using Traditional Dried Active Yeast

Allinson Traditional Dried Active Yeast must be
reactivated in water before use.

650g (1lb 5oz) of flour usually requires 15g ( oz) or one level tablespoon of yeast.

Ingredients:
650g/1lb 5oz Allinson Strong White Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar
15g/ oz Allinson Traditional Dried Active Yeast
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
450ml/15fl oz Warm Water

1. In a 600ml (1 pint) jug, dissolve 5ml (1tsp) of sugar in 150ml ( pint) of warm water (1 part boiling, 2 parts cold).
2. Sprinkle with 15g ( oz or 1 tbsp) of yeast and whisk thoroughly.
3. Leave in a warm place until the surface is covered with approximately 2 cm of froth (10-15 mins).
4. Whisk again and use.
5. Place the flour, salt and sugar into a bowl.
6. Mix to a soft dough with the oil and yeast mixture, made up as above, and the remaining warm water.
7. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.
8. Place in a bowl and cover with greased cling film.
9. Leave in a warm location until the dough has doubled in size.
10. Knock back the dough and shape as desired and put into an appropriate greased tin.
11. Leave to prove (rise) slowly until double in size. 12. Add you chosen topping/glaze if using.
13. Place in an oven preheated to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7 and immediately turn the heat down to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
14. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
15. When cooked the loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Helpful Hints
Mixing and Kneading the Dough

If you are working in a cold room you may find it useful to warm the mixing bowl in advance. Once the ingredients have been mixed you will need to knead the dough quite vigorously. Kneading the dough will strengthen the gluten allowing the dough to rise. Start by placing the dough on to a floured surface and folding it firmly towards you. Quickly push down firmly on the dough, pushing it away from you with the base of your hand. Turn the dough around by 90° and continue the process until the dough feels smooth and elastic.

Rising

Once the dough has been kneaded place it into a bowl and cover with oiled cling film to stop a skin forming on the dough. Place the bowl in a warm place and wait for it to double in size. The dough will rise faster in a warmer environment, such as near an oven or in the airing cupboard, it will rise at room temperature it may just take a little longer.

Knock back and proving

Once the dough has risen, knead it for two or three minutes to smooth out any large air pockets - this is called "knocking back". Shape the bread or place it in a loaf tin and again leave the dough in a warm place until it has doubled in size.Then bake in a hot oven. After baking remove the bread from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

NOTE: Knocking back the dough is only required for dough made with fresh or Traditional Dried Active Yeast. Dough made with Easy Bake Yeast does not require this extra stage and the dough only needs a single rise prior to baking.