How to bake bread in the oven

Sift the flour. For the dough mix flour, yeast, salt and warm water or whey. The temperature of the water or serum should not hang 40°, otherwise it will kill the yeast. Leave the leaven to ferment for a couple of hours. Then add the remaining flour and knead the dough. If bread is made from wheat flour, knead the dough thoroughly, about 20 minutes manually or 7-10 minutes in a food processor. The dough from rye flour long knead not necessary, this flour does not form gluten, it is enough to mix the dough and put it to rest.

When the dough is ready, remember it a little and divide into two parts. Put in a greased high shape and let rise. Put in the oven for 10 minutes at 180°, then increase the temperature up to 200-250°. Bake the bread for 30-40 minutes. During baking do not open the oven, otherwise the bread quality may deteriorate. To test, tap the bottom of the loaf - it should sound as if it's empty.

If you want a shiny crust, lightly sprinkle the bread with water and cool it on a rack, covered with a towel. If you want a soft crust, immediately after baking, cover the bread with a damp towel for 20 minutes.

Wheat bread especially delicious, being fresh, and rye the next day. Keep homemade bread in the breadbox, but not in the refrigerator. Cooled bread can be put in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer. When it defrosts, it will be like fresh. It is convenient to freeze the chopped bread slices thaw very quickly. Still it is possible to defrost the product in the microwave or oven. Put the frozen slices or muffins in a cold oven, turn it to 170° and preheat 10-12 minutes - the bread will be crisp and fresh.

After you master the basic recipe, you can start to experiment. Fry a couple of onions and add to the dough - get the onion bread. You can sprinkle with cumin, sesame seeds or roasted sunflower seeds. If you put just before baking inside bread frozen butter with garlic, you get a very tasty garlic bread.