The Lazy Loaf of Bread

Have you ever wished you could become one of those amazing chefs that actually had the time to bake fresh bread?  Sick of buying shop bread that lacks substance?  It all ends here...in just 3 SIMPLE steps

• Throw your ingredients into a medium-large food processor
• Allow the loaf to rise for 1hr
• Bake for 25 mins
  

The result is a piping hot loaf of bread that smells just like the bakery, and tastes even better!  This is so easy that you could make a loaf of bread everyday!  Shane's never really been a bread eater, but thats changed with a fresh loaf, filled with hearty "keep you full for longer" ingredients.

You can even mix and match ingredients depending on your taste - wholemeal, grainy, even raisin or fruity!

Heres the details.  You will need to follow the instructions the first time, but if you are anything like me, its so simple that you can just do it from memory after that!

• 3 cups of flour (make sure at least 1 cup is white flour, but the other 2 can be a combo of any flour eg. wholemeal, oat bran, wheat germ, ground flax, even gluten free flours etc).  My favourite is 1 white, 1 1/4 wholemeal, 1/2 rolled oats, 1/2 LSA
  
• 2 tsp salt
  
• 1tbs dry yeast (or one packet)
  
• 1 tbs sugar, honey or other sweetener
  
• 1 tbs oil (olive oil, canola, nut oil or butter)
  
• 1 1/2 cups of very warm water
  

1. Setup your food processor with chopping blade.  The bowl should have at least a 9 cup capacity to allow for movement of the dough.
2. Add the dry ingredients to the food processor bowl and pulse several times to mix
3. Combine the warm water with the other wet ingredients (oil and liquid sugar if you are using) in a large measuring jug with a pouring mouth
4. Turn of the food processor and slowly add the liquid ingredients through the food chute. Occasionally pause to allow the food processor to catch up.  Add this slowly, as you probably wont need to use all of the liquid!  Once the dough forms a ball and pulls away fromt he bottom and sides of the bowl, DO NOT ADD ANY MORE LIQUID!.  Allow the food processor to run for 1 more minute to "knead" the dough.
5. Turn the dough onto a cutting board that has been dusted with flour.  It should be sticky and pliable.  Quickly knead the dough for about a minute and form it into a log shape.  Lightly coat the surface with oil and set in a loaf pan coated with non-stick spray.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about an hour (in a warm place), or until the surface has risen above the top of the pan.
   
6. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 25-30 mins.  It should sound hollow when you tap it.  Once pan has cooled enough to handle, turn it upside down, and cool on a cooling rack.
   
7. Cut with a bread knife, and enjoy warm,.  After day 1, this bread is best as toast - cut it thick, and toast it.  
   
8. I usually freeze my leftovers for toast at a later date.
   

Note - for bread that tastes like hot cross buns, add 1/2 cup of sultanas, 1/4 cup of chopped dates and 1tsp of cinnamon to the dry ingredients.  The smell and taste of this will make you weak at the knees!!

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