If you are making your first loaf of bread then this very easy almost white loaf will be a great place to start. Quick to mix together, almost no kneading and rich with flavour. If you just have white flour that’s not a problem, you can make it with all-white flour.

If you want to add some brown flour this will add a slightly richer flavour, you could choose from one of BakeryBits stoneground flours – like wholemeal, rye, spelt, emmer and kamut. We recommend that you start with mixing these wholemeal brown flours with a regular roller-milled strong white bread flour, you’ll get a result to be proud of.

Things you’ll need

A mixing bowl
A dough whisk
Kitchen scales, our baking scales are well-made and dependable 
A 2lb bread tin, like our 2lb Traditional Loaf Tin
A dough scoring knife
A plastic dough scraper
A jug for water

Acooling rack

Method

1. Make the dough: Measure the yeast, salt, honey and flour in a mixing bowl. Pour on the warm water and use your dough whisk to mix everything together to a smooth soft dough.

2. First proof: No need to knead it but do stir it well to make sure there are no lumps or patches of dry flour. Cover the bowl with a plate or tea towel and leave for 30 minutes (at room temperature, about 20C).

3. First Shape: Rub oil onto a patch of worktop, an area about 30cm in diameter and scoop the dough onto it with your scraper. Pat and spread the dough out about 2cm thick, in a rough square shape. Then stretch fold it in on itself by thirds like you were folding a beach towel (slightly stretch the dough edge up in the air before folding it over). Fold it one way so you are left with a more rectangular shape, rotate it 90 degrees and repeat the folds into thirds the other way. Then flip the dough over and scoop it back in the bowl for another 30 minutes.

4. Second shape: Rub the inside of your bread tin with butter to stop the dough from sticking. This time, lightly flour a patch of worktop, an area about 30cm in diameter and scoop the dough onto it again with your scraper. Pat the dough out once more to about 2cm thick, but this time fold the left and right sides in so they meet in the middle. Then roll the dough up tightly into a scroll, and place seam-side down in the tin.

5. Second proof: Cover and leave at room temperature for an hour, it will rise by about 50% but not quite double.

6. Preheat and bake: Pre-heat the oven to 200°C fan. Sprinkle the top of the proofed dough with flour. Once the oven is up to temperature, using a dough scoring knife slash a criss-cross pattern on the top of the loaf. Place the tin in the oven, shut the door and bake for 35 - 40 minutes, until the top is golden and crispy. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly in the tin for around 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and leave sitting on a cooling rack until cold before slicing.