Homemade bread is a challenge even for more experienced cooks. It’s a complicated technique and there are many ways to go wrong. Below is a basic recipe for homemade bread, with five key ingredients and step-by-step instructions that will clarify most questions about bread making at home.

Ingredients:
15 grams of dried yeast
2 teaspoons granulated sugar or 1 teaspoon honey or glucose (the sweetener helps the yeast to start)
2 cups lukewarm water (about 35°C or to withstand the little finger of your hand for one minute)
1 kilo bread flour (or hard flour or high gluten flour)
1 teaspoon salt
a little extra flour, for dusting when kneading

Method:
1. Stir the sweetener with the warm water until dissolved.
2. Add the yeast and stir again until dissolved.
3. Mix the salt with most of the flour – leaving aside 150 to 200 grams or so.
4. In the large bowl of a mixer or on a clean surface stir the water with half of the salted flour.
5. Stir well until the air is trapped between the mixture. This step will assist in the final baking of the bread.
6. Add the rest of the salted flour and stir again until all the flour is incorporated.
7. At this point, pour or flip the dough, if you are working by hand.
8. Add gradually as the remaining flour is necessary to form uniform, soft dough that does not stick. It should be moist but not tight.
9. Knead by hand or with the dough hook of the mixer until the dough is very fluffy and elastic.

First rest
1. Form a ball with the dough and place it in an oiled bowl.
Turn the dough in the bowl to lubricate it from all sides and place it with the smooth side facing up.
2. Cover the bowl with cling film (so as not to dry out the dough on top as it will not crust) and let it rest covered in a warm place until it doubles in volume.
3. When you push the dough with your finger and the dough does not return to its original shape, the rise is complete. How long it will take depends on the room temperature, the temperature of the dough, the external barometric pressure – there are many factors that influence it. Empirically, it takes about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

At this stage you can leave the dough to rise either on the bench or in any free surface. The top of the fridge is a good idea, as the temperature is somewhat warmer here. This step should be precise, as it will make for better bread. If you have time, a larger space at a lower temperature is ideal, for example 3 hours at 20°C.

Size of bread
1. Sprinkle a little flour on the work surface, turn the dough and press to take all the air out of the dough.
2. Now, you must decide if you want to make one large or two small loaves or smaller buns.
3. Divide the dough as desired or leave in one large piece, to form bread later.
4. Put aside again and cover each piece with a clean linen towel (not fluffy) or with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for a few minutes.

Give shape to your bread
1. Now, make each piece of dough into the shape you want (oblong or round bread) and place in appropriate container. If you want a round loaf, make the dough into balls.
With your hands flat on the table touch the dough right and left.
Without lifting your hands, start pressing the dough firmly into a circle, twisting.
You can do it fast or slow. The end result will be the same although with practice you will improve your speed. The friction of the lower part of the dough with the surface of the table will make the dough smooth and tight.
This will help to swell and aid the beautiful appearance of the loaf. If your dough does not seem to move on the table, you can drip some water on the table – just to dampen, but not too wet. Place onto a plate.
If you want an oblong loaf – bread mould, press your dough and stretch the sides of a rough rectangle whose length is equal to the length of the pan. Give the dough cylinder shape and place in pan. Cover the dough.

Final rising
1. Once you place the dough in the pan that you will cook it in, cover with a towel or cling film and let it double in size again. Since yeast is activated inside the dough during this time, it will take half of the previous time.
2. Preheat your oven during the final proofing to 180°C.

Baking
1. When ready to bake, you may want to prepare two or three oblique cross lines on top of the dough with a sharp knife – not deep. This will add to the appearance of bread, but will also enhance the baking (the first few minutes of baking, before the crust is formed). It will prevent the crust from stretching and tearing inside the oven.
2. The bread is baked when it acquires a beautiful golden colour; when a hollow sound is heard by tapping the bottom of the pan and when the internal temperature has reached 95-100°C. For this to happen, smaller buns will take 10 to 15 minutes, while large over half an hour. When you can smell the bread and think that it’s ready, start checking the above.
3. After the bread is out of the oven, let it cool on a rack so it doesn’t become damp, as it will spoil.
4. When cooled to room temperature, wrap it in paper and store in a cloth bag at room temperature.

As your bread contains no preservative it should be consumed within the first 2-3 days. If you know you will eat it in one or two days, cut into slices after it has cooled down and store in the refrigerator, ideally in nylon bags, so you can get a couple of slices at a time to make a sandwich.

Now you have a basic and detailed version of bread making, so be creative. Following are a few versions from around Greece. But be creative yourself, use any herb or spice to enhance the taste and smell.

The basic recipe I have given you is for one kilo of bread but it is easy to manipulate the quantities, two kilos means double everything else.

If you are gluten intolerant, make the bread from a combination of gluten free flours. I use chickpea flour combined with rice flour in equal quantities. There is also soy flour, which is also very good for replacing wheat flour in cakes. Potato flour is also a good alternative.