White bread loaf recipe: The easiest and quickest baking technique for the classic loaf of bread

Instead of stocking up your fridge with white bread from the supermarkets, why not bake your own?

By following the recipe below, you can make a white bread loaf in just under an hour and a half.

Ingredients

- 525g of white flour

- One teaspoon of fine salt

- Two teaspoons of yeast

- 325ml of lukewarm water

- One tablespoon of sunflower oil

Equipment

- Either a 1Ib loaf tin or a 2Ib loaf tin

- A large polythene bag or large bowl that has been buttered/oiled from the inside

Method

Step One

Mix the flour, salt and yeast together in a big bowl, then add some of the water and use your hands or a wooden spoon to turn the mixture to a puffy dough, add a splash of water if necessary.

Step Two

Lightly flour the surface of your kitchen counter and knead the dough for at least 10 minutes until it’s consistent, smooth and elastic.

Step Three

Grab a bowl and oil the sides before putting the dough in the bowl. Cover it with clingfilm and leave it until it rises to double its size. It will take approximately two hours at room temperature.

Step Four

Pre-heat the oven to 230C, gas eight, 210C fan, then tip the dough onto a floured surface and push the air out. Knead well into an oblong shape that should fit a 900g loaf tin and put it into the tin. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel to prove for half an hour.

Step Five

Powder the top of the loaf with a little more flour and bake the bread for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200C, gas 6, 180C fan, and continue to bake the bread for a further 30 minutes until the loaf sounds hollow when it’s removed from the tin. Place the bread on a rack to cool down fully.

And there you have it - your very own white bread loaf.