bread baker, bread baker, bake me a loaf

Hey y'all! I know, I know, it's been too long, but I have plenty of excuses, so don't worry about that!! The main reason, though, is True Blood and Survivor. Yes. It's true. Don't judge me. Anywhoo, I've been baking today, and I figured it was about time to bake some bread; it's been a while. The recipe I use is from this great cook book my mum gave me. She got if from the weekly times newspaper of all places!! It's reminiscent of a CWA recipe book, which is why I love it so much! Best of all, it's simple as!

Ingredients:
500 gms strong white (or wholemeal) flour.*
10 gms yeast
10 gms salt
350 gms lukewarm water**
Olive oil, as needed

* I use tippo 00 flour, it's superfine and preferred when baking bread
** I realise that it's quite odd to ask for water in grams, however, that's what the recipe asks for and it has to with weight for weight measurements. Too complicated for me :)

Method:

Add the yeast to the water, dissolve with a whisk and sit for about 10 minutes, when it's bubbly and fragrant
Once the yeast is ready, add it to the flour and salt. Mix until just combined then let sit for 10 minutes.
Oil your benchtop, about a drop the size of a twenty cent piece. Rub it in. Take out your dough and ensure that it is fully combined. Knead the dough, about 5 times, using the heel of your palm. Here are some links about kneading, should you need it. Oil a clean bowl, let your dough rest another 10 minutes.

This kneading and resting then is repeated 2 times. Your dough should be silky, because of the oil and when you knead, you should be knocking air out every time.

After it's final knead, shape the dough to the oiled tin you will bake it in. Let the dough rest for 1.5 hours or until doubled in size. It is important to cover the dough with a cloth and keep it in the warmest place in the kitchen. Once risen, bake in a preheated oven at 180C fan forced.
I bake mine for 40 mins, but you should check yours, as every oven is different, as is the weather, which can influence the outcome.

Once ready, the top will brown and hard to touch. It is true that when cooked, if you knock the bottom it will sound hollow, but it's always too hot for me to do this!!!
Stay tuned for muffins tomorrow!