Paul Hollywood’s ‘easy’ white bread recipe requires only six ingredients

Paul Hollywood is known for his expertise in bread-making, and his recipes are often seen as challenging. However, in a recent interview, he revealed an “easy” white bread recipe that requires only six ingredients, making it accessible to even novice bakers.

Hollywood’s recipe uses basic pantry staples, eliminating the need for specialty ingredients or lengthy kneading. The six key ingredients are:

• Strong white bread flour
• Yeast
• Salt
• Olive oil
• Water
• Milk

This recipe, known as a “no-knead” method, promises a light and airy loaf with a golden-brown crust. The lack of extensive kneading makes it ideal for busy cooks or those new to baking. However, despite its simplicity, it delivers on flavor and texture, capturing the essence of homemade bread.

The process involves mixing the ingredients together, letting the dough rise, shaping it, and baking it in a preheated oven. The total baking time is relatively short, making this a fast and efficient option for a homemade meal.

Ingredients

• 500g strong white bread flour
• 7g sachet fast-action yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 300ml warm water
• 100ml semi-skimmed milk

Method

1. Grease a large bowl with the olive oil and set aside. Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. Pour the water and milk into a jug, then add it to the flour and bring together to form a dough.
3. Knead for 1 minute. The dough will be quite sticky at this stage. Leave to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes. It’s essential to let it rest because you don’t knead this dough, and resting helps make the texture nice.
4. Dust your hands with flour and knead again for 5-6 minutes until smooth. You can knead it by hand or with an electric mixer.
5. Transfer to the prepared bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
6. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a round loaf. Place it in a greased loaf tin. Score the loaf with a sharp knife and leave to prove in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled in size again.
7. Heat oven to 200 degrees C (400 degrees F). Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
8. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out to cool on a wire rack.

This recipe is not just about convenience, it is about celebrating the simplicity of baking. The outcome is a loaf of bread that is flavorful, fluffy, and satisfying. Paul Hollywood’s “easy” white bread recipe proves that delicious bread can be made without sacrificing time or complexity. Even novice bakers can create a masterpiece with minimal effort.

As with any bread-making recipe, there are subtle adjustments that can be made depending on personal preference and baking conditions. Adding additional flavors such as herbs, spices, or cheese can elevate this simple recipe to a culinary delight. Regardless of the variations, Paul Hollywood’s “easy” white bread recipe remains a reliable guide for crafting a classic bread at home.