by Carol Bloomfield

Created on: January 13, 2009   Last Updated: October 27, 2010

The smell of freshly baked bread is a wonderful addition to any home. It takes a surprisingly short time to make a loaf, but you do need to think ahead to allow time for the dough to rise. It's so easy anyone can do it, and if you have children even young toddlers can join in the fun. Start by making one loaf a week, you will soon see how easy it is to fit in to your busy life.

Homemade bread tastes completely different to many of the breads available in the supermarkets, knowing how it has been made is also reassuring. Once you've mastered a simple white loaf, it is easy to experiment with seeds, dried fruits and different glazes.

There are two essential things when making bread. Always choose the best flour you can afford. Don't be lazy when it comes to kneading as this is the key to a light homemade loaf.

Finally there's a secret ingredient in every homemade loaf, the act of kneading can give pause for thought in a hectic day's schedule, leaving the bread taste all the better because you've had a chance to unwind whilst making it.

For a perfect white loaf you will need:

500g (5 cups) strong white bread flour

2 teaspoons of salt

2 teaspoons of sugar

2 teaspoons of ready to use dried yeast

2 tablespoons of olive oil

300 ml (10 fl oz) water

Extra flour to dust the work surface

Olive oil to grease the tin

Put the flour into a large mixing bowl and mix in the sugar, salt and yeast.

Measure the oil into a jug and add 300 ml of warm water, stir well.

Make a well in the centre of the flour and gradually add the water, stirring in the flour with a wooden spoon.

Put the dough onto a board or table and begin kneading. It takes ten minutes to knead sufficiently. Knead using the heel of your hand, pushing the dough away from you. Keep turning the dough round as you knead. Gradually the dough becomes smooth and springy. If you push your finger into it the dough will rise back up.

Rest the dough for at least 2 hours in a warm place covered with a damp cloth, or overnight in the fridge.

Knock it back, punching out the air, and knead it again for a further ten minutes.

Shape the dough into a sausage and put it into a greased 1 lb loaf tin and leave to rise for half an hour. When the dough has risen this second time, I like to score the top with a sharp knife, brush on some milk and sprinkle on sea salt, but you can leave it plain if you prefer.

Pre-heat the oven to maximum temperature.

Bake for 10 minutes then turn the oven down to 200C (400F, gas mark 6) for a further 25 minutes.

Tap the bottom of the loaf; if it sounds hollow it is cooked. Take it out of the tin and cool on a wire rack.

For a delicious fruity variation use 2 teaspoons of honey instead of sugar, add 2 tablespoons of orange marmalade and 150g of currants to the flour mixture. Use 125ml of water, 125ml of milk and an egg instead of olive oil for the liquid mixture. The method and cooking times remain the same.

For the fruity alternative:

500g (5 cups) strong white bread flour

2 teaspoons of salt

2 teaspoons of honey

2 teaspoons of ready to use dried yeast

150 g (1.5 cups) currants

1 large egg

125 ml (4 fl oz) warm water

125 ml (4 fl oz) milk

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