Homemade bread

To prepare a delicious and fluffy bread, we will start by making the sourdough. In a large bowl, add about 300 ml of warm milk, at a pleasant temperature that won’t burn the yeast. Add a tablespoon of sugar and a generous handful of flour, mixing everything with a wooden spoon until you get a homogeneous mixture. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and leave it in a warm place for about 20 minutes, during which the yeast will activate and start to ferment.

After these 20 minutes, add the rest of the flour, ensuring it is of high quality, to achieve a fine texture. Begin kneading the dough with your hands, gradually adding a pinch of salt, which will enhance the flavor of the bread. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, until it becomes elastic and easily pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Once you reach this consistency, place the dough in a bowl greased with a little oil, covering it again with the towel. Let it rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

After the time has passed, I recommend kneading the dough again, this time to give it an even airier texture. This process, known as 'iarashi', lasts again about 10 minutes. After this crucial stage, let the dough rise again, this time for 1 hour and 30 minutes, covered, to allow it to double in volume.

When the dough has risen nicely, it’s time to shape it. Here you can let your imagination run wild! You can form rolls, a large loaf, or even a sweet bread filled with nuts and raisins. Make sure that after shaping the dough, you place it in a baking tray lined with parchment paper or greased with oil, leaving enough space between shapes so they don’t stick during baking.

Let it rise for another 20-30 minutes, then preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Once the oven is well heated, brush the surface of the bread with a beaten egg to achieve a golden and appetizing crust. Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes, or until it turns golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom lightly.

After removing it from the oven, let it cool on a rack to keep the crust crispy. Enjoy this wonderful recipe from your grandmother, which can easily be adapted by using water instead of milk, thus transforming it into a delicious vegan bread.