Easy Bread

Bread is a recipe I’ve wanted to share on Baking with Granny for quite some time, and right now, with all that is going on in the world, it seems like a pretty good time to get my bum in gear and share our Easy Bread recipe with the world.

Bread is always one of the first staples to be sold out in a crisis (after toilet roll, apparently…), which is understandable. It is so versatile and can be used as part of any of your three main meals, as well as snacking; toast, sandwiches, with soup, just to name a few.

If you’re now finding yourself in similar circumstances to us – either in lockdown and struggling to get to the shops, or when you do get to the supermarkets, there isn’t even a bread crumb left on the shelves – fear not! Our Easy Bread recipe is, well, just that…EASY!

This bread can be made with just a few store-cupboard ingredients, and if you don’t happen to have any Strong Bread Flour, you can easily swap it for Plain Flour; just be sure to read the ingredient tips below.

I promise you that even the most novice of home bakers will feel like an expert bread maker with this recipe, as there’s really nothing that you can go wrong with. Simply start with your dry ingredients in a bowl, add the wet ingredients, mix and knead, then let the dough do the rest of the hard work.

No mixers, no dough-hooks, no bread makers… This is good old-fashioned, Easy Bread – just like all our grandmothers used to bake. And let’s face it, they were/are the experts in surviving tough times! Stay safe, bakers.

Ingredients:

Strong Bread Flour
For the most predictable bread dough, Strong Bread Flour is the best. This is due to the amount of protein (ie, gluten) in the flour, which gives the bread a good structure and chew factor.

However, if you don’t have any or can’t get your hands on some, Plain Flour is a decent alternative; you’ll just need to work the dough a little harder when kneading to activate what gluten is in the flour. Take a look at the Baking with Granny Instagram to see just how much Granny works a dough made with Plain Flour.

Oh, and you can, of course, use Wholemeal Flour, should you prefer.

Fast Action Yeast
There was a time when you could buy various types of yeast, but nowadays, Fast Action Yeast in 7g sachets is the most accessible. It also works brilliantly in many recipes, but especially this Easy Bread, as no extra measuring or preparation is required to activate it.

Salt
When it comes to baking bread, you don’t want your yeast getting ahead of itself. That’s where salt comes in! Salt retards the yeast and slows it down, giving the gluten in your flour time to strengthen and develop. It also adds to the flavour.

Butter, Margarine or Oil
Although this is actually an optional extra in your bread (so don’t worry if you don’t have any) it adds a little something more. I personally use margarine because we always have it to hand, and it suits the vegans amongst us. But you could even experiment with different oils for a subtle change in taste.

Warm Water
Cool water will also work, but you’ll be left waiting a while for your dough to come to life. Warm water is preferable, but just don’t let it be too hot either.