Double Rise - Gold Crust Bread

Pour hot water in a bowl add sugar & then add dry yeast and stir quickly to make sure the yeast is hydrated completely.

Let it sit for about 15-20 minutes & the activated yeast is ready to mix in the dough.

Quantity:

12grams dry yeast

hot water (75 degrees C) no more no less - affects the activation speed & quality

half a teaspoon sugar (add yeast after it dissolves)

After 20mins of yeast activation.

Mix 500grams of all-purpose flour (whole wheat, regular flour all goes well), 12 grams salt, 300ml water

Add water moderately but make sure it is sticky and not lumpy and dry.

Add yeast from step 1 & knead it quickly.

Leave in the bowl & optionally cover it with cling film (my wife hates the yeast smell), however, everyone happily munched on the warm fluffy inside crispy outside baked bread

Have you ever wondered the Yeast - causes the rise? What not How?

Flatulence from the activated dry yeast from the initial step generates CO2 that fluffs the dough up.

Yeast feasts on the starch and sugar and gluten bonds are formed that make it expand.

Leave the round sticky dough in a bowl to DOUBLE at the very least.

I covered mine with cling film - since it is 40+degrees C in summer - it was fast, I had to leave the bowl in front of the fan all the time. AC not recommended - it makes the rise uneven.

You can do the second rise - directly in the baking pan. (I did: round, square & ribbon, criss-cross, etc with my kids putting in all their creativity and craziness into designs.)

This is very important & let it slightly over-rise, instead of an under risen dough it is preferred because the gluten will be spaced out well, it will bake to perfection or to fully cooked state.

If you don't let it rise enough a second time - the result is a very dense bread which is not enjoyable for raw - jam and butter type of a snack - it is too filling and quite a heavy meal to consume.

The sharp knife slit action gets you the shape & baking explosion - you can make all the maps in the world.

Get creative and bake a variety of designs.

My kids made the below:

1. Animals

2. Fruits

3. Plant shapes & things like tables/chairs/a fan etc... (will post the images once done)

You can happily cut shape & customize to get many other types of dishes.

This, however, was a no rise - Italian style - thin base crispy pizza

1. salsa/tomato paste on the round base

2. chopped pepperoni/sausages/luncheon - salt/pepper/ - everything you want except for the kitchen sink...