How to bake your own bread — then give it a fancy twist

Start with this one easy bread recipe, then pick one of these six with cinnamon, sesame, nutty wheat, rye or garlic and onion

BASIC DOUGH RECIPE

Ingredients:

10g (1 packet) active dry yeast (not instant yeast)

500ml (2 cups) lukewarm water

500-700g (4-6 cups) cake flour

5ml (1 tsp) salt

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Method:

1) Dissolve the yeast in the water. In a large mixing bowl, combine 4 cups of the flour with the salt.

2) Make a well in the middle. Pour the yeast liquid into the well and, using the handle of a wooden spoon, stir until dough forms.

3) If the dough is very wet, add more flour until the desired consistency is reached; slightly wet dough makes better bread.

4) Knead on a well-floured surface for 8-10 minutes, adding more flour if needed, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

5) Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with clingfilm.

6) Allow to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours until it doubles in volume. Use as required.

Baking the bread

1) Bread is baked at 200°C. Because we've made different shapes and sizes, use the following guides to gauge whether your breads are done:

2) Your kitchen should smell of bread;

3) The loaves/rolls should be well risen;

4) The bottoms of the breads should look cooked; and

5) The bottoms of the bread will sound hollow when tapped.

Use different flours, liquids, toppings and fillings

Dinner rolls:

Substitute 1 cup of the water with lukewarm milk for a softer texture in the basic recipe. Knock down the dough on a lightly floured surface and break into small rolls. Knead into a round shape. Dip the rolls in cornflour before baking at 200°C for 15-20 minutes for a cracked top.

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Cinnamon bread:

Knock back the risen dough and then snip into pieces using scissors. Dip the snipped bits into cinnamon sugar, then pack them into a large, sprayed ramekin or cake tin before baking at 200°C for 30-40 minutes.

Sesame rolls:

Knock back the risen dough and cut into smaller rectangular shapes. Brush with lightly beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 200°C for 15-20 minutes.

Nutty wheat bread:

Substitute half the cake flour with Nutty Wheat flour, add 60ml melted butter to the yeast liquid and shape as desired. Bake at 200°C for 40 minutes.

Flavoured bread:

Use white bread flour instead of cake flour and make as above. Knock back the dough, shape into a loaf and top with softened oven-roasted head of garlic and small onions before baking at 190°C for 40 minutes.

Rye bread:

Substitute ½ (or more) of the cake flour with rye flour in the basic recipe. The more rye used, the denser the bread will be. Bake at 190°C for 40-50 minutes.