HOW TO MAKE BREAD THROUGH HAND?

Bread making through hand has a definite technique needed to be follow to have a good product. In adding an amounts of various ingredients should need an extra careful. Once the ingredients are brought together at an appropriate temperature (usually 65-80° F or a bit higher than 18° C) the resulting dough must be kneaded. You will also need flour (made from wheat - because wheat gluten is a vital element), sugar, salt, butter (or oil) and milk (or water). Recipes call for varying amounts of each ingredient. As you explore bread-making you will find a whole host of other ingredients that can be included.

Kneading is a technique of folding over the dough and pushing it down over and over. This is necessary because the gluten in the flour, when rubbed together, becomes elastic and helps the bread both rise and set. The dough should be kneaded on a floured surface. If the dough is soft or sticky, add more flour and knead until it shines and has an elastic feel. Be careful not to OVER-knead the dough.

After kneading, the bread is placed in a large oiled or buttered bowl. Oil the dough ball. Cover with a towel or plastic sheet and place in a warm, draft-free place. Let the dough rise (the action of the yeast creates air pockets in the dough) until it doubles in size. This usually takes about an hour.

At this point the dough should be “punched down” and kneaded a few more times. Place it back in the bowl to rise again or shape the bread-dough into loaves or buns and put it into greased pans - depending on the recipe. The dough should rise for another half an hour to 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to the appropriate temperature. When the bread has risen, place it in the oven to bake until it reaches the desired color. When done, loaves should feel hollow when you tap them with your finger.

Then, you can eat the bread hot or wait after it was cool. Wrapping too early will result it to get soggy. Bread lasts in the bread box 4 days to a week. Can be frozen or thawed for later use.

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