Homemade Bread

Activate the yeast

In a cup of lukewarm water, dissolve a teaspoon of refined sugar. Then pour the yeast into it. Stir it with a spoon. Leave it aside for 2-3 minutes.

Prepare the dough

In a food processor (dough maker setting) OR dough maker, pour refined flour, whole wheat flour and salt. Mix it well. Then pour extra virgin olive oil to it and mix well. Start the food processor and slowly keep pouring the yeast water into it. You will need another cup of lukewarm water to be added to this. Slowly the dough will form. Ensure that the dough is very sticky and not dry (unlike roti/Indian bread dough)

Knead the dough

If you are using a food processor, then your dough would have already kneaded to a decent extent. Now pour the dough onto a floured surface and stretch and knead it a few times more. Alternatively, if you are not using a food processor or dough maker machine, then make the dough with hand but make sure you stretch and knead it atleast for 10 minutes.

Let the dough rise (1st Proofing)

In a lightly oiled big bowl, put the dough and cover tightly with cling film. Keep this in a warm area of your kitchen for atleast 1-1.5 hours. Warm temperature helps the yeast work better and dough will rise very well.

2nd Proofing

After 1-1.5 hours take the risen dough onto a floured surface and press it to release the air in it. Then knead it lightly to form a loaf shape. Then put in into a floured loaf tin and cover with a warm wet cloth. Keep it like this for another 30-40 mins. Meanwhile preheat the oven to maximum possible setting. Preferably 220-300 degrees celsius.

Bake the bread

Put the proofed loaf inside the oven and bake it for 40 minutes

Slice it

After the bread is baked, immediately transfer it from tin to a cooling rack to avoid moisture formation on the sides. Once cooled, make slices of it.