This week on Great British Bake Off contestants will be facing Bread Week. A difficult week under the watchful eye of Paul Hollywood, we all know how difficult it can be to bake the perfect loaf.
So, how can you bake the perfect roll or cook up the best focaccia? Beth Stevenson from Dr. Oetker has provided some of her top tips for baking the perfect loaf.
10 Bread Week Tips
1. Kneading bread is a key step, to check it is properly kneaded you can do the ‘windowpane test’. Stretch a piece of dough and it should be translucent enough that you can see light passing through it and the dough doesn’t snap.
2. Be patient with your proving, your proving times may differ depending on the temperature of your kitchen, if your dough is not properly proved, your dough will be very dense when baked. Proving is a very important step in the bread-making process, it helps give the dough structure, resulting in a lovely, aerated loaf and also allows the flavours in the bread to develop.
3. If your kitchen is very cold you can prove your bread dough in the oven. Pop your bread dough in with a roasting tin filled with boiling water in the base of the oven, the heat and moisture from the water will help the dough rise (make sure the oven is switched off).
4. Oil your bowl before you leave your dough in it to prove, this will stop it sticking to the bowl as it proves.
5. To check your dough is proved and ready to bake, gently poke a small indent into the side of the dough using your finger, if it springs straight back your dough is not proved enough, if it slowly begins to spring back but still leaves a small indentation then your dough is perfectly proved and ready to bake!
6. You get a lovely crispy crust on your bread loaf and soft fluffy texture inside add a roasting tray ½ filled with boiling water into the oven as your bread bakes, the steam will help create a lovely crust on your bread.
7. To check your bread is baked, tap the bottom to the loaf and it should sound hollow.
8. If your bread is browning too quickly, you can loosely cover your loaf with foil to stop it from further browning and to allow it to bake all the way through.
9. Never add your salt and yeast to the bread mixture at the same time, or add at opposite sides of the bowl as the salt can kill the yeast so therefore your bread will not rise.
10. Soda bread is a great starting point for bread as you don’t need to leave it to prove and therefore is quick and easy to make, you can also add lots of yummy flavours to it.
Bread Week Recipes
The first signature challenge the bakers will face is making focaccia, so why not try it along at home?
Tip: The dough will feel very sticky but the moisture in the dough will create a lovely texture and enhance the flavour for your focaccia, so don’t be tempted to add more flour! Make sure your baking tin is well oiled and leave your focaccia to prove in the tin, the less the dough is handled the lighter and airier the texture will be.
Need some recipes to get you inspired? Dr. Oetker has a gluten free sundried tomato recipe and a vegan rosemary focaccia.
Whilst much wasn't given away as to what technical challenge they will be tackling, simply stating 'sticky dough', experts at Dr. Oetker reckon they may be making a baguette-style dough with olives.
Tip: To get a lovely light airy centre and crispy crust on your baguette, fill a baking tray with boiling water and pop into the bottom of the oven the steam help create these wonderful textures! Lining the baking tray with a tea towel folded to create the baguette shapes helps the baguettes keep their shape as they prove. Scoring the top of each baguette before baking, help the baguettes expand as they bake and stop the seams in the bread from bursting.
Need a great baguette recipe? Look no further!
You can watch The Great British Bake Off at 8pm tonight on Channel 4.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article