There is nothing better than a freshly baked loaf of bread. Nothing beats the smell of it baking in the oven and with Real Bread Week fast approaching we thought there was no better way than to celebrate it with our own Green Fig Catering bread recipe!
So what is Real Bread Week I hear you ask? Real Bread Week is the annual celebration of supporting your local, independent Real Bread bakery and baking your own and will be on from the 24 February to 4 March 2018 for its 10th anniversary! It’s a great way to get the kids involved in baking but also a way of helping them to avoid all the artificial additives that turn up in industrial loaves, plus it just tastes so much better too!
Real Bread is nothing fancy, and has nothing to hide. According to the Real Bread Week website, “Real Bread is that made without the use of processing aids or any other artificial additives.” Real Bread will generally include flour, water, yeast (either commercial or a natural sourdough starter, and salt. Anything else is, by definition, unnecessary.
A simple loaf recipe
Ingredients
500g flour – strong white, wholemeal or a combo of the two
300ml lukewarm water
10g fresh yeast or 5g dried active yeast (not instant, easy bake, fast acting etc. as these contain artificial additives, so a loaf would not meet Real Bread Week’s definition of “Real Bread”.
5g salt
A little bit of oil for the baking tray
Method
- Mix together the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl, then create a well in the centre. Add the water, and mix well. Add 1-2 tbsp water if the dough seems a little stiff. Mix well then place onto a lightly floured work surface and knead. Knead the dough till it is smooth in appearance and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Leave to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size or place in the fridge overnight.
- Oil the baking tray lightly. Knock back the dough, then gently mould the dough into a ball. Place it on the baking tray to prove for a further hour until doubled in size. You can dust the dough with flour or brush lightly with milk, beaten egg or oil for a glossy finish but this is not essential. Turn the oven on to heat up to 230°C ready for when the dough has finished proving.
- Bake for fifteen minutes and then turn the heat down to 200°C. Continue to bake for another 30-40 minutes.
- Once golden in colour and it makes a hollow sound when you tap the bottom of the loaf, remove the baking tray from the oven. Put the loaf onto the cooling rack and cover with the tea towel to cool.
And there you have it, a deliciously baked loaf of Real Bread. Perfect for breakfast sarnies, accompaniment to soups, or as part of a starter to wow your guests at your dinner party. Of course, if you don’t fancy cooking we can wine and dine you in the comfort of your own home, for you and your friends. So if you like the sound of that and fancy spoiling yourselves check out our private dining menu . We cover locations throughout East Sussex, including Hailsham, Eastbourne, Bexhill, Battle and Hastings, we also cover Tunbridge Wells in Kent as well as working a lot in Brighton, so get in touch today.