How to…Make Bread

To make leavened bread you need flour (preferably high-gluten ‘strong flour’), a liquid and a leavening agent such as yeast. After the dough is made, it is left to rise, preferably at room temperature. The dough is then knocked back (deflated) to rid it of any large or irregular air bubbles, then shaped and left to prove until it doubles in size — don’t over-prove or your bread will collapse when cooked.

Baking gives bread its final rise as the moisture in the dough turns to steam and expands. As soon as the bread gets hot enough, the yeast dies and the bread crust forms.