Paul Hollywood’s White Bread & The Lesson’s Learnt | Vegan Recipe | Dairy Free

Hi all!

I’m back to a baking spree and I do not regret it at all!!!!! As a matter of fact I’m loving it, the entire experience of proofing the yeast and baking the bread is so captivating and I’m so much in love with my breads that I can’t stop admiring them. I’m like a self obsessed kid who just can’t stop praising herself..and for all this I must thanks Sharanya SL, who is reader of my blog and had requested me to post a tutorial on making a white bread.

With all the candor, I must confess that I have baked many breads till now but never baked a whole white bread only for the simple reason that I’m not very fond of the processed flour. But a request is a request and I respected that and took it as an opportunity to learn new.

I’ve many books on bread baking in my collection and the recent addition to that is Paul Hollywood’s 100 Great Breads. I had read a mixed bag of reviews for this book and decided to buy it simply for the person behind it..Paul Hollywood, who is a baker’s son who went on to work as a baker for many leading hotels. He has also judged many TV shows. This particular book was awarded the ‘top bread and pastry book of the year’ for 2005 by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

When I started reading the book, I thought that’s it quite simple to understand and also realized that this man does not rely on big tools and machine and depends more on hand kneading, I thought suits me fine. It was only when I started using the recipe in terms of ingredients and measures that I realized the problem of this book..the weighs & measures!! The biggest difficulty was that the yeast measure was given in ounces and grams rather than spoons and he also insisted on using fresh yeast like most of all the famous bakers. Fortunately I had got hold of fresh yeast recently and I was more than willing to use it. But measuring fresh yeast in ounces was the trickiest part.. but somehow I sailed through the hurdle..

I tried to stick with the weighs & measures in the book but then I realized that the measure of salt was also high, so I decided to adjust it as per my understanding and expertise..

I decided to use my old OTG and not the microwave for baking.The bread turned out fine and rose well too, but it rose much more than expected and the bread got stuck into the top heating rods of the oven. Fortunately, I was alert and I moved the bread to the bottom shelf but by then it already had got a light burn mark .. The book said that the bread would get ready in 35mins but mine was ready in 20mins, a pat on the top produced a hollow sound, indicating that it was done. I’m still to come across such tips in the book.. When I cut the bread and I looked at the cut slice, the word WOW came out instantly and after eating the first bite I was a happy to see that it was light, moist and soft but I was also disappointed that the bread was very mildly yeasty, which also explained the bread hitting the top of the oven.. So, it confirmed that the yeast required should have been less and the measure probably is incorrect in the book, which even I had felt earlier, but since I was using the fresh yeast for the very first time, I did not take any chances. Due to which my bread was not absolutely white..lessons learnt.

Preparation Time: 15mins | Rising Time: 2hrs | Baking Time: 20-35mins | Serves: 4 | Makes- 1loaf | Difficulty Level: Moderate

Ingredients

500g/ 1lb/ 2oz strong white flour, plus extra for dusting

1tsp salt

60ml/ 2fl ounce olive oil

15g/ 1/2oz yeast ( I thought less would be better)

270ml/ 9fl ounces water ( I used only about 200ml)

Method

Sift the flour, add the yeast, oil and spread the salt over the flour, avoiding direct contact with the yeast.

Warm the water slightly and knead the dough using that. The quantity of water required will vary from flour to flour. Knead the flour for about 10mins, till it’s shows a gloss on the top.

FAQs

What is the explanation of white bread? ›

White bread typically refers to breads made from wheat flour from which the bran and the germ layers have been removed from the whole wheatberry as part of the flour grinding or milling process, producing a light-colored flour.

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What yeast does Paul Hollywood use? ›

Yeast. The idea of yeast may seem scary to first-time bakers. However, instant yeast is easy to buy, store and use. I always use 'fast-action' or 'easy-blend' yeast.

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What food does Paul Hollywood dislike? ›

The notoriously critical judge opened up about his disdain for the quintessential American dessert with The New York Post, and let's just say, his mind seems set. "Oh, they're awful," Paul Hollywood said of Hostess Twinkies, which he tried for the first time during a trip to New York last year.

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What is Paul Hollywood's most expensive bread? ›

In 2008 he created the most expensive bread in Britain - an almond and Roquefort sourdough that was sold for £15 a loaf at Harrods, which Paul describes as the "Rolls-Royce of loaves!"

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What are 4 steps to kneading bread? ›

To knead the dough, fold the dough in half and rock forward on the heels of your hands to press it flat. Turn the dough slightly, fold it in half, and rock into it again with the heels of your hands. Repeat for 10 minutes, or as long as the recipe tells you the dough should be kneaded.

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Does kneading bread longer make it fluffier? ›

Tip #2: Don't Overwork the Dough

Overworking the dough can cause the gluten strands to break down, resulting in a tough and dense bread. To ensure a light and fluffy texture, knead the dough just until it becomes smooth and elastic. This usually takes about 7-10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in a stand mixer.

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What is an interesting fact about white bread? ›

The white flour used in white bread is produced from the endosperm of the grain, which is a rich source of carbohydrate and protein. White bread has approximately the same carbohydrate and protein content as wholemeal bread, and contains some dietary fibre and a good percentage of the nutrients of wholegrain bread.

Why is white bread nicer? ›

In The Battle Between Health And Taste, Why White Bread Still Wins : The Salt We know we need to eat more whole grains like whole-wheat bread, but white bread crust gives off chemicals that smell better to most of us. To combat this, manufacturers add sugar to whole-wheat foods, but this can make them less healthy.

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What are the pros and cons of white bread? ›

' Pros: A study found it can boost the number of 'good' microbes in the stomach, warding off disease and leading to better health. Cons: White bread escalates your blood sugar levels because your body absorbs its carbs at high speeds.

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What yeast do professional bakers use? ›

The Very Best: Instant Yeast

Instant yeast is the only yeast I ever use in my baking. Always have and always will. The yeast of choice in most restaurant kitchens and commercial bakeries, it's easy and convenient.

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What is the most famous yeast? ›

Nothing compares to delicious homemade baking. That's why Fleischmann's^® Yeast has been the choice of home bakers since 1868.

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What alcohol does bakers yeast make? ›

Bread yeast, on the other hand, can probably produce alcohol up to 6-8 % v/v. This means that bread yeast cannot survive the high alcohol content desired by winemakers. If you are producing beer, cider or any low alcoholic strength drinks at home, bread yeast will be more than capable.

What kind of mixer does Paul Hollywood use? ›

So the KitchenAid is a staple of bake off just as much as Paul Hollywood is. Word on the street is that this is even Nigella Lawson's choice of Stand Mixer.

What ingredient makes bread soft and fluffy? ›

Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

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Which supermarket bread is the healthiest? ›

“Look for 100% whole grain or sprouted grain breads with minimal ingredients,” says Stefani Sassos, M.S., R.D.N., Nutrition Lab Director at the Good Housekeeping Institute. Whole grain bread is more nutrient-dense and may keep your blood sugar steady, while white bread has the opposite effect.

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What is strong white flour in USA? ›

Strong bread flour is another name for bread flour. The main difference between strong bread flour and other types of flour is its protein content. Strong bread flour is made from “hard” wheat varieties and has more protein, from 12 to 14 percent.