Baking bread takes a little time, but it's a simple process that yields satisfaction. With a few common ingredients you probably already have, you can bake delicious bread and your home will be full of pleasant aromas. This article provides instructions on how to bake three types of bread: white bread, whole wheat bread, and banana bread.
Ingredients
Simple Bread
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 2 tsp yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Simple Wheat Bread
- 1 cups hot water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sugar syrup
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp yeast
Banana bread
- 3 or 4 ripe bananas, mashed
- cup oil (vegetable or olive)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp baking soda
- tsp salt
- 1 cups flour
Step
Method 1 of 3: Simple Bread
Step 1. Prepare the yeast
Combine sugar and yeast in a large measuring cup. Add warm water and stir until combined. Let the mixture sit until bubbles begin to form on the surface, about five to ten minutes.
- If no bubbles form in the mixture after 10 minutes, the yeast you used may be no longer active. Do it again using a new yeast pack.
- Make sure the water is not too hot, as it can kill the yeast. If it's too cold, the yeast won't expand. You need to use warm water.
Step 2. Combine flour and salt in a medium sized bowl
Step 3. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and stir until combined using a wooden spoon
Step 4. Sprinkle flour on the surface of the counter or kitchen counter
Place the dough on a surface and begin kneading, see How to Knead Dough for further instructions. Add more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. Knead for a few minutes, stopping when the dough has come together and can be shaped. Shape the dough into a ball.
Step 5. Put the dough in a bowl that has been greased with oil and cover with a clean cloth
Let the dough rise until it is twice as big.
- If you place the bowl in a warm, dry place in the kitchen, the dough will rise within a few hours.
- Alternatively, you can place the bowl in the refrigerator and let it rise overnight.
Step 6. Knead the dough a second time, mixing in the olive oil
Sprinkle flour on a counter or table and knead the dough again, this time until the dough is elastic and soft.
If you're keeping the dough in the refrigerator overnight, let it sit on the counter until it's at room temperature before you start kneading the dough. Allowing it to rise slowly overnight can also give the bread a richer taste
Step 7. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bread pan
Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for a few moments on a warm, dry counter. Wait for the dough to rise to the top of the pan, then open the plastic wrap. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 176ºC.
Step 8. Bake the bread for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown
Let the bread cool before removing it from the pan. Serve with butter, or slice into sandwiches.
Method 2 of 3: Simple Wheat Bread
Step 1. Put water, olive oil, honey, sugar syrup and salt in a medium bowl and mix well
Step 2. Add 2 cups of flour along with yeast
Stir until the mixture is mixed.
Step 3. Add the remaining cup flour at a time until the dough becomes slightly sticky
Do not knead the dough for too long or the bread will become too firm.
Step 4. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 45 minutes
Place the bowl in a warm, dry place in your kitchen.
Step 5. Remove the dough onto the counter surface and slowly form a ball
Place the dough in a greased bread pan and let rise until it has almost doubled in size, about an hour or two. When the dough is almost done rising, preheat the oven to 176ºC.
Step 6. Bake until bread is golden, about 35 minutes
Let the bread cool before removing it from the pan. Serve with butter or save for later use.
Store in a tin or bread box. Do not store this bread in the refrigerator, because it can spoil the texture
Method 3 of 3: Banana Bread
Step 1. Combine bananas, oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl
Stir until all ingredients are fully combined.
Step 2. In a separate bowl, combine the baking soda, salt and flour
Step 3. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir gently using a wooden spoon
Do not over-mix, or the bread will become tough.
Step 4. Pour the mixture into a greased bread pan
Bake for an hour at 176ºC. Let cool, then slice and serve.
Tips
- Banana bread is considered a “quick” bread because it doesn't take much time to rise. If you enjoy baking this bread, try other quick breads such as pumpkin bread, cranberry bread, and zucchini buns.
- Yeast can be a little tricky to work with in certain climates. If you live in a humid area, wait until the weather isn't too humid to bake yeast-based bread. Banana bread, which does not use yeast, can be baked in any climate.
- Once you get used to the different methods, experiment with other flavors. For example, try adding raisins to whole grain bread, or cinnamon and nutmeg to banana bread. Make the recipe as you wish.
