The yeast may begin to bubble when you add it into the water and as it dissolves.
Remember, you aren’t pouring in all of the flour just yet, as this can cause the dough to become too stiff.
It’s important to work gradually, as adding the flour all at once can make the dough crumbly and dry.
If the dough seems to have a liquid consistency, continue stirring the mixture until it becomes more solid and dough-like.
If you knead the dough for too long, the bread will likely be tough and too chewy.
This helps to give the bread a crusty outer shell and keeps the dough moist while it rises.
Some doughs require colder temperatures to rise, but warm temperatures will help this simple dough rise quickly. Giving your bread plenty of time to rest ensures it will be the shape you want.
The halves don’t have to be perfectly equal, so you don’t need to worry about weighing or measuring the dough. The fat will ensure a crispy, solid crust on the outside of the bread.
Depending on the temperature and humidity, some loaves won’t rise very much in the pans. As long as the dough grew during the first rise, your loaves will likely turn out fine!
If they don’t sound hollow, bake them for an additional 5 minutes to ensure the middle of the bread is completely cooked.
For this recipe, you’ll only be making one loaf, so you only need to grease one pan.
Don’t be afraid to get creative with a variety of different savory and sweet spices, like cinnamon, cloves, or even pumpkin spice!
It’s important to keep these ingredients separate from the dry ingredients, because you want them to be completely combined before they’re absorbed by the dry ingredients.
If you like a tougher bread, you can stir the batter for 1-1. 5 minutes after all of the dry ingredients are dissolved. This will incorporate air into the batter, which will cause it to rise more quickly and form a denser loaf.
If the toothpick has a sticky residue on the outside, bake the loaf for an additional 5 minutes to ensure that the center is completely cooked.
