I put this recipe together for my own use a long time ago. A yeast dough (and different kinds of dough in general) get a certain ‘feel’ to them and you start noticing this…Then you make better judgements on when to add a little more water, more flour, or a pimch more of salt. From this same dough I can alter the sugar and other ingredients to produce cinnamon rolls, pizza crust, pita bread, naan bread…sometimes its just the kneading, rise time, technique, or cooking method with the same recipe that makes it another dough ‘product’. It can even be multiplied successfully for bulk preparation in commercial kitchens. (I know, I was doing it for years!)
Easy White Dough (use wheat flour for wheat dough) for Bread or Rolls
- 4 Cups Flour
- 2 Tablespoon Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Oil
- 2 Cups warm/hot water
Put dry ingredients and oil in mixer. Use mixer set on 2 or 3 (not fast, but not real slow) and use dough hook. Add up to 2 cups warm/hot water from faucet. Pour in mixer while dough hook is working. Watch for the dough to start to come together then let mixer run for about 5 to 8 minutes…you can also need the dough by hand for about the same amount of time instead of using the mixer.
You are looking for a soft smooth texture to the dough, oil dough ball, put in bowl and cover…let rise for about 40-60 minutes (adjust rise time to your humidity/heat) dough may double in size quicker in a more warm and humid conditions or slower in cold conditions.
Smash or punch down, then shape into rolls or 2 loafs in bread pans and wait the same amount of time for the second rise (or longer if needed) bake in oven at 160C or 350F for about 30-40 minutes.
Let cool slightly and eat fresh and warm.
Comments welcome or contact me for further questions…the above photo was baking bread aboard a ship in Cotonou, Benin – West Africa. As you can imagine the rising/proof time was pretty accelerated in that heat (the galley/kitchen did not have air conditioning – I lost some weight that year!).
Yummy, Wish I had a loaf. If I had an oven I would make this easy bread. You go, Tyrone.
Are you on the ship now? Betty Ann (once in reception).
You’re talking bread and I having pizza on my blog.
@ Betty Ann – I am not on the ship anymore, we finished beginning of 2009…I fully integrated back to the ‘working for a paycheck’ world.
@ Steve – Thats a great post on pizza (and the dough) and I endorse more people using the scale, but wanted to offer a simpler ‘trial & error’ version of making a dough so maybe I can (dough) hook a few people into getting excited about it first, then move them on to scale!