Jamie Oliver reveals how to make bread in your oven

Jamie Oliver has impressed users with an easy guide to making homemade bread, in the second episode of his new cooking show ‘Keep Cooking and Carry On’.

The bite-sized series aims to help viewers during the coronavirus pandemic by offering up easy recipes and cooking tips using items typically found in one’s cupboard.

The first episode, which aired on Channel 4 on Monday at 5:30pm, was met with approval from viewers who called it ‘helpful, resourceful and creative’ as people struggle to find basics including pasta and rice in supermarkets.

And in the second episode the chef, 44 revealed how you can make bread in under two hours, using just water, yeast and flour – as shoppers struggle to find any in supermarkets.

Jamie Oliver has impressed users with an easy guide to making homemade bread, in the second episode of his new cooking show ‘Keep Cooking and Carry On’

Jamie Oliver’s homemade bread

Ingredients

Water
1 x 7 g sachet of dried yeast
1 kg strong bread flour , plus extra for dusting

Method

Pour 650ml of tepid water into a large bowl. Add the yeast and mix with a fork for a couple of minutes.
Pour in most of the flour and half a teaspoon of sea salt, then use a fork to mix together until you can’t move it anymore.
Now get your clean hands in there and bring it together as a ball of dough, adding more flour as you need to stop your hands and the dough sticking.
Transfer the dough to a flour-dusted surface and keep it moving, kneading, pushing and stretching it for 5 minutes, or until you have a silky and elastic dough.
Use your floured hands to shape the dough into a rough ball, put it in a bowl, flour the top and cover with a clean, damp tea towel. Allow it to prove for about an hour or an hour and 30 minutes, or until doubled in size – ideally in a warm, draught-free place.
Once the dough has doubled in size, knock the air out by punching it with your fist, then kneading for 30 seconds.
You can now shape it or flavour it as required – folded, filled, traybaked, whatever – and leave it to prove for a second time, for 30 minutes to an hour, or until it has doubled in size once more.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
Carefully transfer your bread dough to the oven and gently close the door. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until golden.
Once cooked, place your loaf on a cooling rack and allow to cool.

In the second episode the chef, 44 revealed how you can make bread in under two hours, using just water, yeast and flour – as shoppers struggle to find any in supermarkets

He began by mixing water, yeast and flour before kneading the dough and letting it set

Jamie also explained how you can personalise your bread by adding pesto, cheese or olives.

And his recipe was met with approval on Twitter, with viewers applauding the simple method.

However another added: ‘I can’t get BREAD & I definitely can’t get strong bread flour, yeast, self raising or plain any where. I have a small amount of self raising & less plain & I have dried yeast in an unopened packet but it’s out of date…can I use these ingredients to make bread? Help Jamie…’.

One said: ‘Can I just say a huge thank you Mr Oliver. I was feeling somewhat overwhelmed, low in energy and unenthused about cooking and your recipes perked me up and for a brief moment I felt the stress slip away, plus some yummy food! I for one really appreciate your help x’.’

Another added: ‘Thanks Jamie for this recipe. #homemade bread made from Jamie’s recipe!’.

Announcing the news on Twitter last week, Channel 4 wrote: ‘Join @jaimeoliver in his brand new show as he helps the nation with easy recipes, cooking tips and ingenious hacks whilst many of us are staying at home.’

The 30-minute episodes will be aired on weekdays, and Jamie will also be teaching viewers how to make their own bread.

In a statement, Jamie said of the show: ‘Cooking nutritious meals for yourself and your loved ones has never been more important.