Home cook: Sharmini Jayawardena
Ingredients
7 1/4 cups all purpose or bread flour
2 – 4 tblsps sugar
1 1/2 tsps salt
1 1/2 tblsps instant yeast
1 1/2 tblsps coconut oil
3 cups warm water (at 100 to 115 degrees F)
Method
1. Mix dry ingredients. Add oil and water. Mix for 1 minute and check the consistency of the dough. The dough should be very sticky.
2. Mix for 5 minutes. (Do not add any more flour after the dough has finished mixing.)
3. Spread kneading surface with oil or apply with a brush and turn out dough on to the surface. Knead dough briefly until it has a smooth consistency (This will take only several turns of the dough to accomplish.)
4. Place the dough back in the bowl and cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven at 230 degrees C.
6. Remove the rack from the oven and cover the surface with aluminum foil.
7. Divide the dough into 2 parts and make unto shapes as desired.
8. Slash the top of the dough with a sharp knife which has been sprayed with oil. This is to achieve a better visual appearance and so that the dough expands and reaches maximum volume while baking. It also prevents a ‘blow out’ from occurring if bubbles appear under the crust and then burst.
9. Place the shaped dough on the rack and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. The bread is done when the crust is brown and it sounds hollow to the tap.
10. Remove from oven and let cool. But who can stop the urge to enjoy a crusty hot slice of bread with butter now.
11. Slice the bread once it’s cooled and store for later in the freezer. When you need the bread for the following morning, bring it down to the fridge and leave overnight.
