There's nothing quite like the simple joy of taking your first loaf out of the oven, and once you've mastered the basics you can have some fun baking bread in unusual containers like tin cans...
In this era of instant gratification it can be difficult to persuade people that making their own yeast bread is a worthwhile activity. The mere mention conjures up daunting images of bouts of strenuous kneading interspersed with long waits for the bread to rise not just once, but twice. But one of the things that has kept me fired up about teaching through the 25-plus years of the Cookery School has been the look of delight on students' faces when they take their first loaf of bread out of the oven. It's almost more exciting than catching your first fish and I know that I've passed on an often forgotten skill that will touch their everyday lives forever.
For those who are apprehensive about working with yeast, Ballymaloe Brown Yeast Bread is a great introduction to yeast bread because it requires no kneading and involves only one rising. It takes about 1½ hours to make from start to finish but most of that is in the rising and baking – in real terms, it takes only about five minutes of your time. A wet dough ferments faster than a dry one.
Unlike the brown yeast bread, white yeast bread does involve kneading and double rising and knocking back. Much of the time it takes is in the is rising and baking, but the satisfaction and end result is immense and more than worth the effort.
A few notes about the three main ingredients:
The yeast
When making brown yeast bread, remember that yeast is a living organism. In order to grow, it requires warmth, moisture and nourishment. The yeast feeds on sugar and produces bubbles of carbon dioxide that expand in the oven and rise the bread. Actually, there's no need to be scared of yeast, it's pretty good humoured and, like many of us, it has a sweet tooth and likes to be warm, so be nice to it. The average warmth of a kitchen provides a suitable environment in which yeast can grow, but a temperature of more than 50°C (122°F) will kill yeast, so ensure the water isn't too hot.
You can use dried yeast instead of baker's yeast. Simply follow the same method, but use only half the weight given for fresh yeast. Leave it longer to rise. Fast-acting yeast may also be used; just follow the instructions on the packet. Note that the dough rises more rapidly with 25g (1oz) yeast than with 20g (¾oz) yeast.
Much of the fresh yeast now available is genetically modified, so ask questions before you buy.
The flour
For brown soda bread, we use a stone-ground wholemeal flour. Different flours produce breads of different textures and flavours. The amount of natural moisture in the flour varies according to atmospheric conditions, so the quantity of water added should be altered accordingly. The dough should be just too wet to knead (it does not require kneading).
The treacle
At Ballymaloe we use treacle, but one can also use honey, golden syrup, molasses, white or brown sugar or Barbados sugar (soft, dark, brown sugar) may be used. Each will give a slightly different flavour to the bread.
Using old dough
Old yeast dough adds extra flavour and interest to a batch of bread. Sometimes when I'm making brown yeast bread, I hold back a quarter of the dough and put it in a tall glass jar (if it's white yeast dough, I use a covered bowl). Then I can save it for a few weeks and use it as a base for the next batch. The dough gets more sour and the brown bread takes on a deeper flavour, almost like pumpernickel.
When you buy new cake or loaf tins that are not non-stick, greasing them will not be enough to stop them from sticking; you'll need to do what's referred to as 'seasoning' the tins. You do this by brushing them with oil or butter and putting them in the oven for 10–15 minutes at a time. Let them cool down and repeat 3–4 times. Just to be on the safe side, put a bit of greased butter paper at the base of the tin the first few times you use it, just to ensure it doesn't stick. I far prefer this method to using non-stick tins which generally lose their coating over time and can even be dangerous.
This bread has been made by hand every day at Ballymaloe House for more than 60 years – originally for the family, and then for the guests. The recipe is based on one for a nutritious loaf that Doris Grant developed at the request of the British government in the 1940s. I can't really stress enough what a favour you'll be doing your family by baking this bread. The main ingredients – wholemeal flour, treacle and yeast – are all highly nutritious. The ingredients and equipment should be at room temperature.
Makes 1 loaf
450g (1lb) strong (stone-ground) wholemeal flour OR 400g (14oz) strong (stoneground) wholemeal flour plus 50g (2oz) strong white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black treacle
425ml (3⁄4 pint) water, at blood heat
20g (3⁄4) or more fresh non-GM
Yeast
Sesame seeds (optional)
Sunflower oil
1 loaf tin 12.5 x 20cm (5 x 8in)
Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/ gas mark 8.
Mix the flour with the salt in a mixing bowl. In a small bowl or Pyrex jug, mix the treacle with some of the water, 150ml (¼ pint) and crumble in the yeast. Leave to sit for a few minutes in a warm place to allow the yeast to start to work. Meanwhile, grease the bread tins with sunflower oil. Check to see if the yeast is rising. After about 4–5 minutes, it will have a creamy and slightly frothy appearance on top.
When ready, stir and pour it, with all the remaining water (300ml/½ pint), into the flour to make a loose, wet dough. (Don't mix it until all the water is in; otherwise it tends to go lumpy.) The mixture should be too wet to knead. Put the mixture directly into the greased tin. Sprinkle the top of the loaves with sesame seeds, if you like. Cover the tin with a tea towel to prevent a skin from forming and leave the bread to rise. This will take anything from 10–20 minutes, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
Preheat the oven to 230°C/ 450°F/gas mark 8.
When the dough has almost come to the top of the tin, remove the tea towel and pop the loaves into the oven. The bread will rise a little further in the oven; this is called 'oven spring'. If the bread rises to the top of the tin before you put it into the oven, it will continue to rise and will flow over the edges. Cook for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 and cook for a further 40–50 minutes, until your bread looks nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped.
We usually remove the loaves from the tin/tins about 10 minutes before the end of cooking and put them back into the oven to crisp all round, but if you like a softer crust there is no need for this.
Unlike brown yeast bread, white yeast bread does involve kneading, double rising and knocking back. It takes time but not your time, as much of it is in the rising and baking. It's very tempting to use a food mixer to knead bread but I always encourage people to knead by hand to begin with. It can seem a chore but in fact it can be enormously therapeutic and relaxing when you enter into the spirit and just enjoy the process. With each loaf you make, you will continue to perfect your technique and will become more observant of the changes in the dough, depending on the flour, atmosphere and even your humour.
If you do want to use a food mixer, however, use the dough hook and knead for 5–6 minutes rather than ten.
Why knead?
The process of kneading develops the elasticity of the dough. When the yeast feeds on the sugar and creates little bubbles of carbon dioxide, the strong stretchy web will facilitate the rising process.
What is gluten?
Gluten is the protein in the flour. When it is wet it becomes elastic, so flour with a higher gluten content will expand considerably as it rises and is therefore desirable for white yeast bread.
How do I knead?
There are several different styles of hand kneading, all equally effective, so choose the style that you feel most comfortable with. It doesn't matter which style or combination you settle for, but it's important to remember that you need to work and stretch the dough in order to develop the gluten structure, so don't just play with it. Kneading needs energy and has the added bonus of providing you with a physical workout which surely can only be desirable.
To start, scrape the dough out of the mixing bowl onto the worktop. Begin to stretch and fold. It usually takes about 10 minutes to get the dough to the correct consistency, but the length of time will depend on your technique. Here are my three suggestions:
Hand kneading: method 1
Stand upright with one foot slightly ahead of the other in front of the worktop. Sprinkle a little flour on the worktop and dust your hands, too. Tidy the dough into a manageable round. Now, with your right hand, stretch the top right-hand side of the dough and then fold it back towards you. With your left hand turn the dough anticlockwise and continue stretching and folding as you knead a different part of the dough, all the time, over and over.
Hand kneading: method 2
The second effective method is to stretch the top of the dough away from you while holding onto the end closest to you. Then roll the top edge of the dough inwards towards you and press away again with the heel of your hand. Again roll towards you, another stretch and a final roll which should bring all the dough as far as the bottom edge. Now you'll have what looks like a Swiss roll in front of you, so turn it 90° and start the kneading process again from the narrow end. Continue until the dough is fully kneaded.
• See this method in pictures
Hand kneading: method 3
This third method is effective, but very noisy. It's the best method for getting rid of frustration by far, but only attempt it if you are on your own! Knead the dough until it becomes a coherent mass, then form into a longish piece. Grip by the bottom end with your right hand. Lift up the dough, flick your wrist forward and bang the dough onto the worktop, flicking your wrist to the right in the same movement, then pick up the other end of the dough and repeat the action over and over again – you'll soon feel better and the dough will benefit from the workout, too!
How do I know the dough is kneaded enough?
You will be aware of the dough changing texture as you knead. At first, if you lift up the dough and pull it apart it will break into two distinct pieces but as you continue to knead you will be able to stretch it into a longer and longer piece without it breaking. It will also become much firmer and spring back without sticking when you press it with your fingertip. When kneaded enough, it will stretch into a long roll without breaking – so you'll be able to see the long strand of gluten you've developed with your hard work.
Is it possible to overknead?
You can, but it's unlikely to happen when you are hand kneading. A dough can be overkneaded in a machine. The tell-tale signs are when the texture of the dough changes from silky and elastic to a coarse, sticky dough that is slightly curdled in appearance.
Where can I rise my bread?
Bread will rise almost anywhere (within reason) and 27°C (80.6°F) is considered the optimum temperature but remember that cold doesn't kill yeast, so if your kitchen is a bit colder than mine, the bread may take a little longer to rise – but will still be fine. Keep it out of draughts, but you don't need to put it in an airing cupboard or on top of a radiator – and it doesn't matter how much of a hurry you're in, don't be tempted to put it into a warming cupboard or a low oven. Remember, heat over 50°C (122°F) kills yeast – and breads that rise slowly have a much better flavour and are more nutritious and digestible than those that rise quickly.
What is happening when the dough is rising?
There is lots of enzyme action going on, but basically the yeast is feeding on the natural sugar in the flour and creating bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. The yeast builds up flavour from the acids and other byproducts of fermentation – even a short period of rising greatly enhances the flavour of your bread.
Ballymaloe white yeast bread
The bread that was made in my home was always soda bread, so it wasn't until I went to school in Cathal Brugha Street in Dublin that I learned the skill of making white yeast bread. Later I brought it to Ballymaloe House and they've been making it there ever since. This dough can be used to make rolls, loaves, breadsticks and all manner of bread shapes. .
Makes 2 x 450g (1lb) loaves
425ml (¾ pint) lukewarm water
20g (¾oz) fresh yeast
700g (1½ lb) strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
2 teaspoons salt
10g (½oz) sugar
25g (1oz) butter
Egg wash and poppy or sesame
Seeds for topping (optional)
2 x loaf tins 12.5cm (5in) x 20cm (8in)
Put 150ml (¼ pint) of tepid water into a Pyrex measure. Crumble in the fresh yeast and leave in a warm place for about 2–3 minutes. Sieve together the flour, salt and sugar in a large, wide mixing bowl. Then rub in the butter and make a well in the centre. Pour in the yeast mixture and most of the remaining lukewarm water. Mix to a loose dough, adding the remaining water or a little extra flour as needed.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, cover and leave to relax for about 5 minutes. Then knead for about 10 minutes or until smooth, springy and elastic (if kneading in a food mixer with a dough hook, 5 minutes is usually long enough). Put the dough into a large bowl and cover the top tightly with clingfilm. Yeast dough rises best in a warm moist atmosphere; 27°C (80.5°F) is optimum, but a slower rising is preferable to one that is too fast.
After about 1½–2 hours, when the dough has more than doubled in size, knead it again for about 2–3 minutes to redistribute the yeast in contact with the dough so it will have a more even crumb. Cover and leave to relax for a further 10 minutes.
Shape the bread into loaves, plaits or rolls, then transfer to a baking tray and cover with a light tea towel. Leave to rise again in a warm place, until the shaped dough has again doubled in size (about 20–30 minutes).
Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/gas mark 8.
The bread is ready for baking when a small dent remains if the dough is pressed lightly with the finger. Brush with water and dust with flour for a rustic looking loaf or brush with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds for a more golden crust.
The bread will rise a little further when it goes into the oven – this is called 'oven-spring'. Bake for 25–35 minutes, depending on size. When baked, the bread should sound hollow if tapped underneath. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Variations
Olive oil bread
Substitute 2 tablespoons of olive oil for butter in the above recipe and proceed as above.
Plaited bread
Take half the quantity of white yeast dough after it has been 'knocked back' and divide it into three equal pieces. Use both hands to roll each one into a rope – the thickness depends on how fat you want the plait to be. It will shrink at first so re-roll each piece a second time. Then pinch the three ends together at the top, bring each outside strand into the centre alternatively to form a plait, pinch the ends and tuck in neatly. Transfer onto a baking tray and leave to double in size. Egg wash or mist the surface with water and dredge with flour before cooking.
Bean-can bread
Originally, this might have been done when people were short of loaf tins or cake tins, but it's a great way of using what you have to bake bread. Plus, it makes round slices! Choose tins (bean cans) that don't have a deep lip on top and open with a tin opener that takes off the top of the tin. Follow the white yeast dough recipe, then bake the dough in the well-greased tins. Fill the tins only about half full to allow for rising. Tins work best if they've been seasoned in the oven a few times before the dough is inserted (see above); but if in doubt, line your tins with silicone paper.
Flowerpot bread
For an interesting shape, bake the white yeast dough in well-seasoned tin flowerpots. Oil them well before using.
Brotherly Love
Reneé Hague, the son-in-law of the renowned typographer Eric Gill, was virtually our next-door neighbour for many years. In his latter years, he loved to bake and particularly enjoyed making yeast doughs. We loved to be invited to tea, as one of his specialities was this traditional Suffolk bread called 'Brotherly Love'. Do not attempt to make this unless you have fine lard from a well-reared pig.
Serves 8
450g (1lb) white yeast bread dough, as above
75g (3oz) soft pork lard
75g (3oz) sugar
Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
Roll the dough into a 40 x 25cm (16 x 10in) rectangular strip. Spread or dab lard over it, then sprinkle generously with most of the sugar. Roll up and leave to rise for 30–40 minutes.
Brush with water, sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 and bake for a further 20 minutes or until fully cooked.
Leave to cool on a wire rack. Serve freshly baked and still warm, cut into slices and buttered.
• This extract is taken from Forgotten Skills of Cooking by Darina Allen (Kyle Cathie, £30)
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