The basic, white bread recipe is the standards that forms the basis of all other bread recipe methods you’ll work with.
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A Good Start
I think that it’s fair to say that a bread, made from scratch, isn’t automatically the recipe you’d start with. When you think about learning how to bake, it is typically easier to start with a cake – like I did – or cookies, cupcakes or muffins. You have to start somewhere.
Cookies and cakes are fantastic, but baking bread is just something else. Not having to rely on the supermarket for fresh, soft or crispy, white or wholewheat bread is a game changer. But like I said, it’s not easy. It takes some skill, some getting used to the feel of a sticky dough, and knowing then it’s ready.
All good cook books start with the basic, white bread recipe. And for a reason. You only have to worry about the right amount of water, the proofing of the bread and making sure the bake is good.
Beyond the Basics
The fact that we call it a basic recipe, and it is simple, should not fool you. When baked properly, it is versatile, extremely good and rewarding to eat. It is the go-to bake that you can also use to experiment with. You can bake large loafs, divide and use baking pans (see the photo), use pre-ferments, cut it up even smaller and bake buns and rolls. When you feel you master this, you can add fillings. Think of cheese, vegetables, chocolate, fruits, butter, eggs and sugar. Change up your flour game. Your imagination – aided by your taste buds – are your only limitation.
In this recipe we also discuss the cob loaf, the round version of this bread. You’ll likely find it interesting that the exact same dough will have a different taste and texture. And just wait until you bake this in a Dutch oven.
So with that, let’s get started.
