Khartoum Long Life White Bread

I always sift the flour when living in a third-world country and I'm always surprised at the debri in it

For Grant's birthday last week, I baked him a loaf of white bread. (Instead of cake, of which he 'd eat one slice and I the rest!) I'd never made this recipe from a magazine affiliated to a large supermarket chain in South Africa. The bread turned out perfectly and was appreciated by the birthday man!

I believe (my late mum taught me) that the bread dough should always be level with the top of the pan before the second proving takes place

A perfectly rounded bread

I was so thrilled with the perfection of this loaf, I couldn't stop photographing it. See my husband's arm on the table while he waits patiently to taste his birthday treat!

Long-life White Bread (PnP Fresh Living Magazine July 2009)

Makes 2. I only made one loaf therefore used half the ingredients.

By adding milk and Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) the bread stays fresher for longer. I didn't the ascorbic acid tablet as I couldn't find any in Khartoum

INGREDIENTS
1 kg White Bread Flour

30 ml Sugar

15 ml Salt
10 g Instant Yeast
2 Vitamin C tablets - crushed (optional)

375 ml Water - hot
250 ml Milk
30 ml Canola Oil

DIRECTIONS

Measure flour, sugar, salt and yeast into a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with your fingers to combine.
Dissolve Vitamin C tablets in hot water and add milk (it may get a slightly curdled look).
Add milk mixture to dry ingredients, mix to form a ball and knead for about 8 -10 minutes on a well-floured surface to form soft pliable dough.
If necessary, add a little more water or flour, depending on consistency.
Grease mixing bowl with canola oil and place dough in bowl.
Cover with Clingfilm and allow to rise, until doubled in size. (On a warm day the dough can be left at room temperature but on a cold day make your own little ‘incubator’ by placing the bowl on a cloth-covered cooling rack over a deep roasting pan, half-filled with boiling water).

Cover with a large plastic bag (black bags work well), tie closed and allow to rise. Remember, slower is better, it may take from 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on outside temperatures.
Knead dough again once risen.
Butter two 200 x 100 x 70cm-deep loaf tins.
Divide dough into two.
Roll out dough 2cm thick, and roll up like a Swiss roll.
Place into loaf tins, seam-side down. This helps the bread to rise more evenly and have a better ‘dome’ shape.
Allow loaves to rise again until they reach the top of the tin.
Preheat oven to 220°C and bake for 35 minutes.
Turn loaves out of loaf tins and return to oven to bake for another 10 minutes to crisp the bottom crust.
Place bread on a cooling rack covered with a clean cloth and allow to cool to room temperature.