Easy White Bread Recipe Rolls And Loaf

Ingredients

Method

1. Tip the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and oil into a bowl.
   
2. Pour in up to 325ml warm water a little at a time, then mix (with a spatula or your hand), until it comes together as a shaggy dough. Make sure all the flour has been incorporated.
   
3. Cover and leave for 10 mins.
   
4. Lightly oil or flour your work surface and tip the dough onto it.
   
5. Knead the dough for at least 10 mins until it becomes tighter and springy – if you have a mixer you can do this with a dough hook for 5 mins.
   
6. Pull the dough into a ball and put in a clean, oiled bowl. Leave for 1 hr, or until doubled in size.
   
7. Heat the oven to 230C/210C fan/gas 8.
   

For Rolls

1. Put the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a long sausage shape.
   
2. Halve the dough, then divide each half into four pieces, so you have eight equal-sized portions.
   
3. Roll each into a tight ball and put on a dusted baking tray, leaving some room between each ball for rising.
   
4. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place to prove for 40 mins-1 hr or until almost doubled in size.
   
5. When the dough is ready, dust each ball with a bit more flour. (If you like, you can glaze the rolls with milk or beaten egg, and top with seeds.)
   
6. Bake for 25-30mins, until light brown and hollow sounding when tapped on the base. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
   

For Loaf

1. Knock back the dough by tipping it back onto a floured surface and pushing the air out.
   
2. Mould the dough into a rugby ball shape that will fit a 900g loaf tin and place in the tin.
   
3. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove for 30 mins.
   
4. Dust the top of the loaf with a little more flour and slash the top with a sharp knife if you want.
   
5. Bake the bread for 15 mins, then reduce the heat to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and continue to bake for 30 mins until the loaf sounds hollow when removed from the tin and tapped on the base.
   
6. Leave the bread on a wire rack to cool completely. The loaf will stay fresh in an airtight container for 3 days or can be frozen for 1 month.