If you love bread or you want to start making your own bread at home, then you've come to the right place. Hi everyone, it's Kiki. In today's video, I'm going to show you how to make this soft and delicious bread. It's a super simple recipe. Anyone can make it.
You only need a handful of ingredients. You can make this using your hands or using a stand mixer. And in this video, I'm going to show you how to do both. I make this every week and everyone loves it.
No doubt you would love it too. Let's get started. So these are the ingredients you'll need for this recipe.
You need some water, flour, sugar, salt, butter, powdered milk and oil. You can replace the water with liquid milk. If you're doing that simply omit the powdered milk.
The exact measurements and recipe is going to be in the description box. I'm also going to have the written recipe and measurements on my website kikifoodies.com so you can check that out. You also need yeast.
You can use instant yeast or active dry yeast for this recipe and I'm going to explain the difference shortly. You also need two loaf pans because this recipe is for two loaves. although you can make just one by cutting down the recipe for half. And you can find the link for everything I use in this video in the description box. To start, we're going to first dissolve the yeast.
Now this is the only part you need to pay attention to because this is what will make or break the bread. To dissolve the yeast, you will need warm water. The water can't be too hot, if not it will kill the yeast.
You can test the temperature of your water by inserting a clean finger into it. The water should be around the same temperature with your body temperature. So the key point is that the water shouldn't feel hot in your fingers.
Alternatively, if you have a kitchen thermometer that's perfect, you can simply use it to measure the temperature of the water. The ideal temperature should be around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. to 110 degrees fahrenheit max.
If the water is hotter than that it's likely going to kill the yeast and the bread is not going to rise. Once you get the temperature right add the yeast. I'm using active dry yeast for this recipe but like I said earlier you can use instant yeast.
The next thing we're going to do is proof the yeast. You can make this process a bit faster by adding a little sugar to the yeast mixture and the yeast is going to feed off the sugar and bloom faster. Proofing the yeast is just a precautionary step just to make sure that the yeast is working properly. If you're using instant yeast you can simply skip this step and just add the yeast directly with the dry ingredients and use room temperature water.
But if you're not sure of your instant yeast you can also do this just to make sure that the yeast is good to use. I'll cover the yeast mixture and allow to sit for about 10 minutes. While the yeast is blooming, I'm going to show you how to measure your flour properly for my recipes. Avoid scooping the measuring cup into the flour directly. Instead, what you want to do is use another cup or spoon and sprinkle the flour on the measuring cup and then you're going to get a knife and level.
This is what's going to give you the closest measurement especially for my recipes. If you have a kitchen scale that's even better. I always use a kitchen scale for all my measurements so it's going to give you the most precise measurements especially for this recipe.
Check on the yeast mixture. After about 10 minutes, the yeast mixture should have bloomed like this. And this simply tells you that the yeast is good to use.
If you trust the yeast and you're very knowledgeable about the right temperature of water, then you don't need to do this step every time. So for dry yeast, you can simply dissolve in water because dry yeast does need to be dissolved before baking. And for instant yeast, you can just... put directly with the yeast.
If the yeast doesn't bloom after about 15 minutes, the water may be too hot or the yeast has gone bad. Throw it out and repeat this process with a new batch of yeast. If you're sure that yeast is not the problem, then adjust the temperature of the water. And this is why I always recommend proofing the yeast especially if you're new to baking because it helps you avoid wastage of the other ingredients like the flour and sugar and I would say this is the only major thing you need to know when it comes to making bread and Once you get the yeast part right you can apply that knowledge to any other baking that calls for yeast So next add the other ingredients so add the sugar the flour, the powdered milk and the salt. The only thing we'll be adding now is the butter and the oil.
I'm going to take this to my stand mixer with the dough attachment and if you don't have a mixer that's fine. I'm going to show you how to do this by hand. If you plan on making bread every week, you might want to consider investing in a stand mixer.
It really makes the process faster. Mix for about 1 to 2 minutes on the lowest speed until the dough comes together. Then increase the speed and knead for 5 minutes. The dough is going to look a bit dry at first but keep in mind we haven't added the butter and the oil. And the reason we add the butter later is because we want the dough to get a proper stretch so it's going to improve the gluten structure in the bread which is what gives it that nice and stretchy texture.
If you notice that the dough is too soft or too sticky at this stage, feel free to add more flour. After mixing for about 5 minutes, go ahead and add the butter and oil. You can skip the oil and just add more butter but I like adding the oil because it keeps the bread hydrated for days.
I initially forgot to add the oil while filming but I did add it to the dough immediately I remembered. Continue kneading the dough for an additional 5 to 7 minutes until everything comes together. And please make sure that your butter is at room temperature before adding it. My stand mixer is by KitchenAid and I'm kneading on speed 4. If you want to do this by hand, simply repeat the same process we did earlier.
So proof the yeast, add it to a wide bowl and then add the other ingredients. Mix everything up until you get a shaggy dough and then transfer to a floured surface. If you're doing this by hand, you won't need for at least 15 minutes or even up to 20 minutes.
My dough board was moving too much so I added a wet paper towel to make it a bit stable. If you're kneading by hand, you want to knead for at least 15 minutes. It's going to be a bit tedious and it will give you an arm workout but I promise it will be worth it. Also when you're kneading by hand, when it's time to add the butter, don't add the butter all at once. Adding the entire butter is going to make it really hard to knead so you want to add maybe two to three times in little portions.
Continue kneading until you get a smooth dough. For the oil, repeat the same process you did with the butter. So add a little bit of the oil to the kneading surface and then continue to knead until all the oil has finished.
You need only about one tablespoon of oil for this dough. To test if the dough is kneaded enough, you can cut a little part of the dough and very slowly stretch the dough to see how elastic it is. If the dough tears almost immediately, it means the dough is not kneaded enough.
But if the dough stretches really well and it's thin and it doesn't tear, it means your dough is very well kneaded. You can also test the elasticity of the dough. by poking it with your finger. If the dough springs out immediately it means the dough is very well kneaded.
This is usually the best I can do with hand kneaded dough and yes the bread does come out really great. I also apply the same test even when using a machine to know when the dough is ready. If the dough tears very easily like this then you need to knead for longer. so knead for a bit longer and when the dough is stretchy like this without tearing very easily you know that the dough is ready and well kneaded.
Next cover the dough with a plastic wrap or you can use a clean kitchen towel. Now you're going to allow this rise for about one hour or until it's doubled in size. The rise time may vary based on where you are.
Usually colder environments may require a longer rise time and if you're in a warmer climate it will rise faster. If you're in a colder environment you can put the dough in a slightly warm place. So what I usually do is I turn on my oven for about 40 seconds. Turn it off and then I place the dough there and it should be just the right temperature for the dough to rise fast.
If you have a proof setting in your oven you can definitely use that. You can also skip this step completely and just go ahead and shape the dough and place in the pan. What the first rise does is that it makes the bread more stretchy and it gives it a slightly better flavor.
Most times I don't have the patience to proof twice. and the bread still comes out pretty great. Towards the end of the video you'll be able to see the difference between the bread I proofed just once and the one I proofed twice.
After about one hour or so the dough should have doubled in size. This is my favorite part, punching the dough to release the air bubbles formed while proofing. Divide the dough into two equal pieces.
You can simply just eyeball it or you can measure the entire dough with a kitchen scale and then divide that figure in two. Use the same scale to measure the individual dough until you get the exact half amount. To shape the dough, just roll and talk like this and make sure when you're talking you're tucking the dough really tightly.
if you don't talk tightly you might notice after baking the bread you have like big holes on the inside so to avoid that make sure you press it down after each roll to talk really tight when you're done simply pinch the end of the dough so it closes add a little oil to the surface of the dough this will give it a good shine and prevent it from drying out if the token roll is a bit complicated for you You can simply just use a rolling pin to roll the dough out and then just roll it tightly After you oil the dough transfer to a baking pan I'm using two 8x4 baking pans Any medium baking pans will do for this recipe if you want to get this exact one It's going to be linked on my Amazon store front and I'll provide the link in the description box. If the pan you're using is not nonstick, before adding the dough, spray with nonstick spray or you can simply dust the pan with flour. Cover the pan and allow to rise for a second time. It should take about 40 minutes to an hour. When the dough is about 70% risen, start to preheat your oven.
If your oven takes a longer time to preheat, you want to start a bit earlier. If it takes a shorter time to preheat, then start a bit later. preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 175 degrees Celsius so when it gets to that temperature add the bread and you're going to bake this for about 25 to 30 minutes.
Because I'm using a covered pan it usually takes about 25 minutes to fully bake. If I want it a bit on the browner side I leave it for 30 minutes. If you're using an open pan without a cover you want to leave it for about 30 to 35 minutes. When the bread is done take it out of the oven and then remove it from the pan.
If it's a bit difficult to remove from the pan you can heat the bread on each side like this. You can do this on the floor or on your countertop just to loosen the bread a little and after doing this it will slide right out The bread is looking really good and my whole house smells amazing. I mean nothing compares to the aroma of freshly baked bread.
If you like the back of your bread on the softer side, bag the bread while it's still hot. But don't seal the bread completely so the back doesn't become too wet or soggy. Allow the bread cool down completely before slicing. Here's what it looks like sliced.
The bread is really soft and it has a very nice texture. This is one of the major advantage of proofing your bread twice. You can try out the different method if you're up for it and let me know which one you prefer.
This is the bread I only proofed once and I'm going to slice into it so you can see the difference. This one is also really soft and it tasted really nice. The only difference between the one proof and the two proofs that I've noticed is the texture.
Besides the texture they both taste identical, they taste really great so if you don't have the time you can just keep the first proof and your bread will be ready in about an hour. For storage simply just store in a cold dry place like you store your regular bread It should last between 4 to 5 days and still remain fresh. If you want it to last for longer, you can make in bigger batches and bake and then freeze immediately.
The frozen bread can last in the freezer for about 3 to 6 months with constant power. To thaw the bread, remove from the freezer and allow to sit at room temperature for about 2 to 3 hours. If you want it hot, you can bake for a few minutes or microwave. I hope I've been able to convince you and not confuse you to make your own bread.
Like always, let me know if you do make this and how it turned out. The full recipe like I mentioned before is in the description box and you can also find it on my blog kikifoodies.com. If you have any additional questions about this recipe, Feel free to leave me a comment, send me a DM on Instagram and I'll be more than happy to help you out. I hope you enjoyed watching this video and I hope you found the video helpful. Don't forget to like, share or comment.
It really helps the channel grow. Don't forget to like and subscribe if you haven't done so already. If you're already subscribed, thank you for subscribing and I'll see you in the next one.