Justin Bonello’s basic bread recipe.
Basic bread dough
- 4 ml sugar
- 100 ml lukewarm water
- 10 ml dried yeast
- 400 g flour
- 4 ml salt
- 60 g butter
- 2 eggs
- Sunflower oil
Cooking method
First you need to activate the yeast. Mix the sugar, yeast and lukewarm water together, then sprinkle a tablespoon of flour on top (this prevents the yeast mixture from getting a dry crust) and leave in a warm spot for 10 minutes or until frothy. Sieve the flour into a bowl, add the salt and, using your finger-tips, rub in the butter.
Next, beat the eggs lightly with a fork and add to the yeast mixture. Make a hollow in the flour, pour in the yeast-and-egg mixture and knead it well into a soft, pliable dough. Brush the dough with sunflower oil, place in big bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and let it rise in a warm spot for about 40 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
Knead the dough one more time (this step is called knocking it down) and then you’re ready to bake bread.
With this basic recipe, you can make
For more recipes and outdoor cooking ideas, read Justin Bonello’s Cooked in Africa: A cooking journey through Southern Africa.
