According to data from the Central Statistical Office, the average Pole eats nearly 40 kg of bread a year. We can’t imagine breakfast without it, we often eat it for lunch, and it works just as well for dinner. On the occasion of World Bread Day (October 16), we take bread under a magnifying glass and suggest which bread to choose and how to prepare a fresh, fragrant loaf yourself at home.
The tradition of baking bread goes back many generations. For a while we forgot about it, but today more and more of us are starting to return to it. Homemade bread is the certainty of the ingredients used in its preparation, unforgettable taste and aroma. Homemade baked goods will always be without flavor enhancers, spulsifiers, emulsifiers and preservatives. Simply put – we know exactly what we are eating. And it doesn’t stop there, because baking bread is always fresh and simply tastier bread that can be prepared by anyone, in addition, cheaper.
On sourdough or on yeast? Dark, or maybe light?
Despite the fact that we eat bread practically every day, many people do not pay much attention to the choice of a particular type of bread. And there are indeed many of these. The basic distinction involves the method of baking bread: sourdough and with yeast. Our grandparents baked bread on sourdough, which is a mixture of flour and water that has undergone a fermentation process. Bread prepared this way is more compact and lasts longer. Bread baked with yeast is much more common in bakeries, due to the faster production process. The bread is light and very soft, but after just a few days it will become hard.
In the context of different types of bread, it is also necessary to mention dark and light bread. The former is made from wheat, rye or mixed flour. They are most often referred to as wholemeal, which means that wholemeal flour, that is, single-milled flour, was used in the production. Light bread is baked from refined white flour. This makes it very soft, but at the same time it loses some of its nutritional properties.
Homemade bread is not only a proven recipe, but also the right flour
Everything has probably been said about baking bread, and yet, it is not difficult to make mistakes. On the surface, it might seem like an easy art – you buy the ingredients, mix them, pour them into a mold and put them in the oven. In practice, however, it turns out that a good recipe is only half the battle, as flour plays a huge role.
The choice of flour determines the taste of the bread, its texture and durability. The simplest rule of thumb is that the higher the grade, the darker the bread will be and the lower the level of milling. When it comes to health issues, it would be best to use the flour with the highest index for baking, but it will not work equally well for everything. Among the most popular ones are:
- bread made from wheat flour – soft and tasty, but less filling and with little fiber,
- spelt flour bread – rich in fiber, protein and minerals,
- bread made from rye flour, which is recommended for diabetics due to its low glycemic index,
- bread made from gluten-free flour – corn, buckwheat or amaranth flour can successfully replace the above three.
It is very common practice to mix different flours to make a lighter and more easily digestible bread, such as rye flour mixed with wheat flour. It is also worth mentioning that the easiest way to start your bread-making adventure is with wheat flour, which is very malleable and forgives many mistakes.
Hand kneading account planetary mixer
Baking bread yourself requires proper kneading of the dough. This can be done traditionally, that is, with your own hands, or you can harness a planetary mixer. Kneading the dough by hand is a labor-intensive task and requires considerable skill, while the mixer is able to do it practically by itself, and our role ends with adding the ingredients to the bowl. Deciding to knead dough with a planetary mixer, it is worth buying a model that is up to the task. First of all, the power of the device itself is important – the minimum is 1000 watts, so you don’t have to worry about kneading the dough properly. The capacity of the bowl of the planetary mixer is also important. It will be most convenient to get a model with one with a capacity of 4 liters or more, and then you will easily mix a solid batch of dough. Last, but not least, is the mixer. A spiral kneading hook will be ideal, which will collect the dough from every nook and cranny of the bowl – both from the sides and the very bottom. It might seem that a sturdy device that will assist us in this task – will put a heavy strain on the household budget, as it costs several thousand zlotys. On the contrary. Manufacturers’ offers are so wide at the moment that a good and proven device can be bought for as little as about PLN 600.
Finally, good advice. A planetary mixer is often a countertop appliance, so it is worth choosing one that matches the style of our kitchen. And here a very interesting line of vintage appliances by Ariete, which are in addition to functionality combine modern solutions with classic Italian design.
Below you will find a recipe for homemade bread. Check it out for yourself.
Recipe for homemade bread
- 500 g bread wheat flour (type 750 or 850),
- 25 g of fresh yeast,
- 1 flat spoon of sugar,
- 270 ml of lukewarm water,
- 1 tbsp. soft butter,
- 1 teaspoon salt,
- optional to your favorite seeds (sunflower, poppy, sesame).
Add yeast, sugar, a tablespoon of flour and lukewarm water (100 ml) to a bowl, mix thoroughly and set aside for 10 minutes. In the bowl of an Ariete planetary food processor, sift the remaining flour through a sieve, add water (170 ml), butter, salt and the risen leavening. Knead until an elastic, plastic mass is formed and set the dough aside covered with a cloth for an hour. Transfer the risen mass to a baking pan and set aside for half an hour. Preheat the oven to 220°C, gently cut the mass from the top and lightly moisten it with water using a brush. Sprinkle the bread with grains and put it in the oven. Baking time: 20 minutes.