i’ve been having a bit of a non-sourdough moment of late… I made some delightful Hot Cross Buns a few weeks ago which were soft and doughy and they made me yearn for that in a loaf… don’t get me wrong, I do love Lucretia and all she brings to my world of bread but sometimes, what you really want is a classic, soft dough, crunchy crust, white loaf… and so I refer you to my WI book of bread by Liz Herbert… I don’t think I could get any more classic than their Farmhouse Loaf… and it’s remarkably easy to make too, perfect for a first time bread maker…
… I also just found out that a ‘white loaf’ will be one of the categories in this years Aby Village Show, so it’s a good thing i’m getting my practice in early eh?
Farmhouse Loaf
450g strong white bread flour
25g butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fast action dried yeast
200ml hand-hot water (the recipe called for 300ml water but i’ve reduced this slightly and added milk)
100ml milk
– put the flour into a large mixing bowl and rub in the butter then stir in the sugar, salt and yeast.
– pour over the water/milk and gently bring together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. You should end up with a really soft silky dough.
– place the dough in a large bowl, cover with cling film and let it prove in a warm place for at least and hour or two until it has doubled in size
– knock back the dough for 2-3 minutes, then shape it into a rough oblong and place it into a greased bread tin, cover with a tea-towel and let it rise again for a further 45 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
– preheat the oven to 230c, score the top of the loaf with a sharp knife and dust with a little flour, bake for 30-35 minutes until golden.
If you want a really crispy crust, take the bread out of the tin and place it back onto the oven shelf for a further 5 minutes.
eat and of course, enjoy!
Fabulous loaf! I have a breadmaker so I cheat but that looks so impressive. Might have to try it.
Gorgeous! I wish I had a nice slice of that…warm, right out of the oven, with some butter…mmmm!!!
Looks beautifully pillowy! How do you get it that lovely even colour . . . is it the sugar?
thanks Guys,
@ Marmeduke… not sure how the colour comes about at all… just a hot oven and the sugar I guess?
Oh, for a piece of toasted farm loaf with just a dab of butter and drizzle of honey … this looks the perfect breakfast loaf, Dom!
What a gorgeous site – fresh home made bread! It looks incredibly professional! I bet its nice with that bit of milk too
If there were a beauty contest for breads this would win – hands down! I'll bet it would make delicious French toast! Yum!
That loaf looks perfect, Dom! No matter how much sourdough, wholemeal and granary bread we eat, there are times when only a soft white loaf will do – bacon sandwiches, for instance! This really fits the bill for those occasions. I love the white waistline, where the crust has separated – beautiful!
Nothing beats a good loaf of freshly baked bread – yummy! And the texture of yours looks amazingly soft too, nice work!
Assolutamente da provare!! E' venuto davvero bene e poi dev'essere di un buono!!
Un abbraccio e buonissima serata
Wow….that look very good!!!!!!! Very nice loaf!!! I'll copy this recipe Dom!!!! well done!!!
I love a good home baked farmhouse loaf. Its the first loaf of bread I ever made and is a regular feature in our home. It fills the house with a lovely, comfy and cozy smell too ;0)
Nothing like a huge doorstep of a piece with salted butter running down your chin! YUM
Dom!
I got this extact same book out of the library just this week- its brilliant! Full of really lovely ideas. I haven't tried the Farmhouse Loaf yet, but thats definately whizzed right up to the top of my list now!
You've read my mind – just opened the freezer to discover bread stocks at all time low. This looks like a lovely loaf, thanks! (And I still have to post about Luc Martin's amazing ciabatta!)
This looks like one exquisite loaf of bread. Slice me an extra wide piece, please.
This looks fab! I could eat a slice right now with best butter and cherry jam. In fact, how long will it take me to bake it…? I'm off to find a loaf tin…..
looks like the perfect loaf, sent you a DM on twitter Boston may be better sat as driving to kings lynn saturday ?? tweet or email me 🙂
Rebecca
Oh, yeah, I can almost smell that right now! Awesome. There's nothing better than fresh, homemade bread. I hadn't made any for about a month until a couple of days ago, and I realised how much I'd missed the almost meditative nature of the kneading and the waiting. I'm going to give yours a try this weekend – my kids will be in heaven.
Sometimes only a white loaf will do..bacon sandwiches for example..and that's a beaut Dom..
OOh…I'd could just eat a slice with butter and Marmite…!
I would actually walk over hot coals for fresh baked white bread. Hopefully, it won't have to come to that… I'm impressed, that looks like a good loaf!
The loaf looks gorgeous Dom. I've been meaning to bake a white loaf for sometime, so hopefully soon.
Have a nice day.
amazingly delicious, fresh n tasty..
Tasty Appetite