Bread has always been the one baked good which causes the most trouble, it’s a very temperamental mistress. It requires precision, the correct environment, and a lot of patience.
Everything has to be in order to make sure the bread dough rises enough. Not everyone has the time to wait around, especially when making and preparing the dough can take ages, but one TikToker seems to have perfected a recipe which means you only need a handful of ingredients and no elbow grease. Yes, that’s right, no kneading whatsoever.
I recently saw a video from the TikTok creator Let’s Eat UK, who was showing just how easy it is to make bread for beginners. There’s also no need for a stand mixer, all you need is a wooden spoon.
Bread flour, yeast, salt, and water. These ingredients are the foundation of most bread loaves; all bunged into one bowl.
Simply add water to the dry ingredients, mix with the handle of a wooden spoon, and bosh, the dough is already done. No need for kneading.
Don’t worry if the dough is looking a little wet, it will dry. Your dough should be sticky but not sticking to you.
This is where patience is key, as the dough has to proof for up to two hours. It’s the perfect time to fill with any remaining work, household chores, or errands you need to run.
Usually my flat is too cold, as I’ve had problems with proofing before. But thanks to the ever-slowly increasing temperature, my home radiates enough warmth to perfect my dough.
A great tip I’ve seen so many chefs do is using a Dutch oven or such like to help create the perfect consistency for a loaf of bread: soft, fluffy and airy on the inside, but wonderfully golden on the outside. Let’s Eat UK’s recipe requires an oven-proof pot or saucepan to be placed in the hot oven to heat up before placing the dough in it to bake.
This helps cook the bottom of the bread rolls evenly. The same process works with cookies too.
Once the bread rolls are shaped, left to rise again for 15 minutes, and placed in the red-hot receptacle of your choice, all you can do is wait. Wait to see if the bread continues to rise in the bread.
Wait to see if the crust browns. Wait to see if the centre isn’t a doughy mess. After 30 minutes I remove the lid of the pan; the buns grow like mounds of doughy goodness.
Ten minutes later, I carefully remove my pan from the oven and see the result. Six freshly baked bread rolls which look like they’ve come straight from the bakery.
That wonderfully gentle aroma that smells like home and feels like a hug. Honestly, I’m surprised. They look good enough to sit on any supermarket shelf.
Inside they’re soft and slightly squidgy. I’d rather the dough was cooked a little bit more, just so the centre of the dough springs back when pressed.
Strangely, they have a slight pepperiness to them. Other than that, they’re pretty standard plain rolls that would be perfect for any lunch, picky tea, picnic or packed lunch.
I think it’s the least amount of effort I’ve ever had to put into breadmaking. I can’t argue with these impressive results. This is the perfect recipe for any baking novice to try on the weekend.
Paul Hollywood, watch out.
Homemade Bread Rolls
Ingredients
- 440g bread flour or all-purpose flour
- One tbsp instant or fast-action yeast
- One tsp sea salt or Kosher salt
- 330ml very warm water
Method
Place the flour in a mixing bowl, whisking to remove any lumps. Then add the yeast and salt to the bowl, whisking again.
Pour in all of the water, using a handle of a wooden spoon to mix the water into the dry ingredients. A dough should begin to form a sticky consistency, but not too wet.
Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave to proof for between one to two hours. The dough should double in size and have visible air holes on the surface.
Preheat the oven to 230℃/450℉. Liberally dust your work surface with flour, placing the dough on top.
Roughly shape the dough into a large ball, which will help to cut into even portions. Using a dough cutter – or a similar utensil – cut out six even dough balls.
Shape by pinching the corners of the dough and pulling them to the back. Place the first roll into the centre of a sheet of baking paper, placing the remaining five rolls around it.
Place the tea towel back onto the rolls and proof for a further 15 minutes. While the dough is doing its final proof, get an oven-proof pot with a lid and place into the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove the pot from the oven. Holding the edges of the baking paper, place it carefully into the preheated pot.
Put the lid back onto the pot and place it in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for a final ten minutes until golden brown.
