Home made bread

Hi-rise white loaf

Okay, so this recipe isn't in the Basic Cook Book, but it is on a Thermomix based blog, Thermomumma, and of all the bread recipes I have tried, this is my absolute favourite. You can find the recipe for it here. All hail Lailah and her magnificent loaf!!! Lailah's facebook page can be found here.

This bread smells devine, is so easy to make, and I have never had a fail with it. Sometimes I add a mixture of seeds to it for a multigrain loaf, still using the white bakers flour. I just add the seeds in before mixing and kneading the dough. I don't bother with soaking the seed mixture I use. Generally I add about a couple of tablespoons of each type of seed (my usual suspects being sunflower, pepita (pumpkin seeds), chia and flaxseeds. The kneading process spreads the seeds through nice and evenly.

There are a few suggestions of how to prove the dough in Lailah's recipe. Today it was quite cold in Perth, so to get my dough going I ended up putting it on top of the dryer and turning it on for a little while. It seemed to work pretty well. Near a heater would work as well. Just remember to cover it with cling wrap so it doesn't dry out. Spraying the cling wrap with oil before placing over the dough will stop the wrap from sticking to it as it rises.

Dough before first 15 minute prove

Dough after 15 minutes proving

The tin I use for the loaf is a Mackie's tin. These tins are commercial quality, and should last a lifetime if you look after them properly. They are non stick, so there is no need to oil or flour the tin, unless you are using it to bake a cake or if the dough is more of a batter consistency. My preference would then be to line it with baking paper, so that it doesn't need to be completely submerged in water to wash it. If I find the tin gets any baked on bits, i just wipe it off with a damp dish cloth and stick it in the oven while its still warm to dry the tin out properly.

Dough before final 1 hour prove

Dough after 1 hour proving

There is also a lid available for the tin, to make a square loaf. I haven't got around to buying one as yet. When I want to make a square loaf, I wedge a large baking tray between to top oven shelf and the top of the bread tin. This way the bread will end up with a flat top, as opposed to the hi-rise loaf I have made today.

Slicing a loaf by hand can be a little tricky, but there are bread slicing guides available quite cheaply on ebay. However with a bit of practice, you get better at it! Using a sharp serrated knife or sharp bread knife is best. I prefer to make my loaves in the afternoon/evening, then I will leave it overnight on a cooling rack with a food net cover over it to keep the bugs off. In the morning the crust is nice a firm and much easier to slice.

Storage of bread can be tricky, especially when it is quite big. When I make a square loaf, I have found that the largest zip lock bags will be big enough, and as long as you squeeze out all the air when you seal it, it remains fresh for at least 2 days (if it lasts that long!). I also try to save any plastic bags and the little closing tags from store bought bread to keep larger loaves in.

I really love making bread! Its one of those things I would never have done before owning a thermomix. It is so easy, so if you haven't done it yet, please give this recipe a go. You won't be disappointed!

Happy thermomixing!