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A simple easy to follow recipe, to make the best homemade bread - white cob loaf.
Traditional British farmhouse style bread, cheap to produce from basic store cupboard ingredients, strong white flour, dried instant yeast, salt, sugar and olive oil.
Make this crusty white loaf by hand or with a stand mixer and bake the round bread loaf in the oven or in a pressure cooker!
How to make homemade bread from scratch?
We show you how to make your own farmhouse style bread at home, check out our quick video below.
Then check out all our extra top tips, to make the best cob loaf bread on this page.
Or jump straight to the recipe card now!
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Ingredients for white bread
The basic ingredients for a medium-sized white loaf are strong white flour, dried instant yeast, salt, sugar and olive oil.
Mix the ingredients by hand or for a quicker and less strenuous and less messy task use a stand mixer fitted with a kneading hook.
How to knead by hand & how long?
Kneading by hand will take 10 minutes of tender loving care, the technique to knead is:
Fold dough in half, then push with the heal of your hand.
Twist the dough ¼ turn clockwise and repeat the push & twist action a few times. Before starting back with another fold.
Continue this motion until bread dough is smooth and has a nice stretch.
How to knead bread using stand mixer?
Using a stand mixer to mix and knead your bread is a quick, easy and mess free way of making homemade dough.
Its best to put the wet ingredients in first.
Use a kneading hook on a low speed to incorporate the bread dough ingredients together.
Scrape any remaining flour off the sides and bottom.
Then continue using the kneading hook for 2-4 minutes. The dough should be stretchy and smooth when ready.
Once the dough has been kneaded, form into a rounded ball shape.
Transfer kneaded dough to a well-oiled round cake tin to proof before oven cooking.
What size cake tin?
We use a 18 cm / 7 inch round cake tin, for a tall medium round cob.
If you use a larger cake tin it will still work but will give you wider slices.
If you wanted a square or rectangular loaf simply use a relevant tin!
How long to proof white bread?
Cover tin loosely with cling film and leave for 1-3 hours to proof, until it has doubled in size.
If it hasn't risen enough, simply leave it for longer.
Oven Cooking method
Preheat oven to 200°C Fan / 220°C , Gas 7, 425°F. Remove cling film and place tin on the middle shelf in the oven.
Bake the white cob loaf for 30 minutes.
Remove from tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.
Pressure cooker method
Check the recipe card for how to cook homemade bread in the pressure cooker and how to speed up the proof time using yoghurt mode.
Farmhouse style bread
To give your white bread a farmhouse style, sprinkle some flour on top of the cooled bread.
This round crusty loaf of bread super easy, quick and cheap too. We hope you enjoy it. Nothing better than the smell of fresh-baked bread in the house!
Homemade bread is much better for you than store-bought bread, with minimal salt added and no preservatives in it.
You may need to make a double batch if you have a big family.
Homemade white bread served toasted with jam, perfect for a delicious breakfast
Or serve fried as part of an English breakfast.
In doorstep cut slices for a lunchtime sandwich.
Serve slices of soft white bread with dinner recipes, such as our Beef and Red Wine Stew and Dumplings, great way to soak up all the leftover juices from the plate.
How long does homemade bread last?
Store your homemade bread at room temperature in a dry place. Keep it soft by covering and sealing in a food bag or an airtight container once cool, will keep for 3-4 days.
It is best to only slice what you need to help keep it fresher for longer!
Ingredients are given in UK and US measurements, however it is always best to use weighing scales when measuring ingredients for making bread.
When measuring flour in cups we used Gill from 'this old gal' blog technique to measure the flour.
Do not scoop cups from the bag. Instead, use a spoon to sprinkle the flour into the cup, then use a knife to run across the top removing excess flour off the top for a level cup.
Based on this method each cup should weigh 125 grams meaning you will need 4 level cups.
Homemade Bread - White Cob Loaf
Luke and Kay - Flawless Food
A simple easy to follow recipe, to make the best homemade bread - white cob loaf.
Traditional British farmhouse style bread, made from basic store cupboard ingredients, strong white flour, dried instant yeast, salt, sugar and olive oil.
Mix and knead by hand or using a stand mixer. This round crusty loaf of bread is cheap to make and can be baked in the oven, or for a quick proof and cook try using a pressure cooker.
Serve soft sliced white bread as part of an English breakfast, in doorstep slices for lunch, or as a side at dinner.
Ingredients are given in UK and US measures (it is best to use weighing scales).
5 from 16 votes
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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Proofing Time (at least) 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 45 mins
Course Breakfast, Lunch, Sharing, Sides
Cuisine British
Servings 6 people
Calories 350 kcal
Equipment
Optional:
stand mixer
pressure cooker
Oven
Ingredients
- 500 grams strong white flour (4 cups)
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon sugar
- 7 grams instant yeast
- 300 ml warm water (1 ¼ cup)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
Homemade bread by hand
Add all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Mix the ingredients together by hand, it will be messy and seem too wet to start, just continue until it all forms together. Do not add more flour!
Place on a floured board and start to knead the bread for 10 minutes until a smooth elastic texture.
Move on to the Oven or Pressure cooker cooking method.
Homemade bread using stand mixer
Add all the ingredients to the stand mixer bowl.
Use a dough hook on your stand mixer start on a slow speed and use a silicone spatula to reincorporate anything stuck to the sides.
Once formed together increase to medium speed for about 2 minutes (this is the kneading stage)
Transfer to a floured worktop and form into a ball with your hands
Move on to the Oven or Pressure cooker cooking method.
Oven bake method
Place in an oiled round cake tin, cover with cling film and leave for about 1-3 hours. It should have doubled in size, leave for longer if needed.
Preheat oven to 200°C Fan / 220°C , Gas 7, 425°F.
Once doubled in size, place in the preheated oven on the middle shelf.
Oven cook for 30 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Sprinkle with flour once cooled.
Slice and serve!
Pressure cooker method
Line the pressure cookpot with parchment paper, add the kneaded dough.
To proof:
Put on lid with pressure valve closed and program on yoghurt setting for 40 mins.
If you do not have a Yoghurt setting leave for 1-3 hr with a damp tea towel over top.
Once the bread has been proofed.
Program the pressure cooker on the cake setting and cook for 40 mins, with the pressure valve closed.
Optional to brown off crust.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 200°C /Gas 6 / 400°F.
Transfer the bread onto a baking tray and place it in the oven for 10 minutes.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 10gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 586mgPotassium: 94mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg
Keyword basic ingredients, Cob loaf, English, farmhouse style, Homemade Bread, Pressure cooker Bread, round crusty bread, Simple recipe, traditional, white bread, white loaf
Tried this recipe? Share an image on Facebook / Instagram / PinterestPlease mention @flawlessfooduk or tag #flawlessfooduk!
This post was originally published on 14/10/2019 and has been modified on 11/04/2021 with updated step by steps, photos, a new video for creating the best farmhouse white bread cob loaf.
Hope you enjoyed this Homemade bread - white cob loaf we have plenty other bread recipes for you to try, like our or our fun Spider Bread.
