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Basic white bread
Makes: 1 large loaf
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Andy Sewell
Basic white bread
If you're used to making bread, you might find this a bit wetter than your average bread recipe. Have a play when you're shaping the dough, roll it, stretch it and bash it around – you'll come to know what a developed dough feels like, so you'll know when it's ready
Makes: 1 large loaf
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time:
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Nutritional information (loaf)
Calories
1717Kcal
Fat
7gr
Saturates
1gr
Carbs
362gr
Sugars
7gr
Fibre
21gr
Protein
50gr
Salt
10gr
James Morton
James first wowed us as a contestant on the Great British Bake Off with his bread-baking and gingerbread architecture skills. His book, Brilliant Bread (Ebury Press, £20) is full of delicious and foolproof recipes.
See more of James Morton’s recipes
James Morton
James first wowed us as a contestant on the Great British Bake Off with his bread-baking and gingerbread architecture skills. His book, Brilliant Bread (Ebury Press, £20) is full of delicious and foolproof recipes.
See more of James Morton’s recipes
Ingredients
- 500g strong white flour
- 10g table salt
- 1 x 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
Step by step
Get ahead
Best eaten on the day it's baked. Can be frozen
- In a large bowl, weigh the flour. Rub in the salt at one edge of the bowl and the yeast on the other side, as the salt can stop the yeast working.
- Add 350ml tepid water and mix together to form a coherent dough (use your dough to mop up any flour sticking to the bowl). Cover your bowl with a damp tea towel or clingfilm and rest in a warm place for 30-40 minutes, or until it has noticeably increased in size.
- Wet the fingertips of one hand and slide between the bowl and dough. Fold the dough in half. Turn the bowl 90°; repeat until you have removed all of the air and it's noticeably smooth. Cover and rest for an hour, or until at least doubled in size.
- Scrape the dough on to a floured surface, flour your hands and shape into a ball.
- Place the dough on a heavily floured surface (like a chopping board), loosely cover and leave it for a final hour, or until it has doubled in size and springs back when pushed. (I like to use a proving basket, which makes a lovely spiral pattern on the top of the loaf.) Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7, at least 20 minutes in advance.
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Give your bread a few shallow slashes with a serrated knife. Bake on a lightly oiled baking tray on a low-to-middle shelf for 35-40 minutes, until a deep golden brown – don't be scared to let it get a good dark crust. If your oven cooks unevenly, turn the loaf so it browns all over.TipFor baking and bread making, use digital scales for accuracy when weighing ingredients.