We started baking bread during a particularly busy few months, which might sound like odd timing. But we found that the very slowness of bread made it a welcome counterweight to everything else. You mix a few ingredients, then you wait. There is nothing you can do to speed it up, and that is the beauty of it.
The simplest loaf
You need only four things: flour, water, salt, and a little yeast. We mix them in a large bowl the evening before, cover it with a damp cloth, and leave it overnight. By morning, the dough has risen and developed a deep flavour. There is very little kneading involved; time does most of the work.
Our method in brief
- Evening: stir together flour, water, salt, and a pinch of yeast until combined. Cover and leave.
- Morning: fold the dough over itself a few times, shape it into a round, and let it rest for an hour or so.
- Baking: heat the oven with a covered pot inside it. Bake the loaf in the hot pot, first with the lid on, then with it off to brown the crust.
- Cooling: wait until the loaf has cooled a little before cutting, which is the hardest step of all.
What we have learned
Our first loaves were dense and a little sad. Over time we have learnt that bread is forgiving but responds to patience. A longer rise gives a better flavour. A hotter oven gives a crisper crust. A warm kitchen speeds things up, while a cool one slows them down, and either is fine. Small differences in each loaf have made us pay closer attention, and we have come to enjoy that.
The ritual of it
There is something deeply comforting about a house that smells of baking bread. We often bake on Saturday mornings, and the loaf becomes the centre of the weekend: toast with butter, sandwiches for a picnic, a thick slice alongside soup in the evening.
Bread is a gentle reminder that some good things simply cannot be rushed.
Sharing it
A loaf is also a lovely thing to give. We often wrap one in a clean cloth and take it to friends or neighbours. It is a simple gift, but it always seems to be received with real delight.
If you have never baked bread, begin with the simplest loaf and allow yourself a few imperfect attempts. The kitchen will smell wonderful either way.
