Hello Bakers! I hope you’re ready to fill your kitchen with an intense fresh bread aroma! Today, we’ll be making an amazing ‘standard’ shop-style loaf that’s actually far from standard! Our super soft bread is not only 100% plant-based but it also has that trademark artisanal soft, springy, and pillowy inside that’s just so moreish!
What can I expect from this Super Soft Bread?
You probably remember our equally exquisite Easy Vegan Milk Bread! We made the milk bread right at the start of lockdown that now seems like a lifetime ago! The main difference between our super soft bread and the milk bread is in the texture. This is because the method for making the milk bread is quite different. You make a roux that you mix into the bread and the assembly of the loaf is different too. This all create a soft, tearable loaf. Milk breads are absolutely delicious, one of my favourite of all breads ever! While milk breads can be sliced, they are not quite what we think of when we want sandwich-style bread.
Enter our super soft bread! This bread almost has the same flavour of a milk bread but much more of a glutenous, springy texture. It toasts perfectly and can be cut into medium slices for the perfect sandwich. I made a sandwich with it yesterday when it was fresh out the oven – I couldn’t wait the appropriate time for it to be cool so it was still quite warm! – and it was honestly the best lunch ever. I had it with a bowl of our 5 A Day Soupologie soup (all 5 of your 5 A Day in one pot of soup!) on the side and seriously, nothing beats a fresh bread sandwich with a hearty bowl of soup! And if you’re still not convinced, this bread was made in time for lunch yesterday and by lunchtime today, there was only one slice left!
(Yes, I ate the last slice.)
Let me know if you give this recipe a try as I love hearing about all your culinary exploits!
Don’t forget we’ve got a selection of simple and easy to make dips on our website that go really well this bread. Why not take a look at the recipes below:
A Classic Combination
There’s something so satisfying about slicing your own homemade bread and dunking it in a creamy and delicious soup! If you’re in the mood for cooking up some tasty soup, then why not check out our Roasted Garlic Soup, Tomato and Red Lentil, or our Potato and Leafy Spinach soup!
Alternatively, our delicious ready-made Soupologie soups are vegan, gluten-free, and have entirely green nutritional traffic lights! We’re also free from the 14 main allergens, celebrating natural goodness the Soupologie way! We also have our 5 A Day soups – all of your 5 A Day in one pot of soup! Find us at Whole Foods, Waitrose, Planet Organic, Ocado and on our webstore www.soupologie.com
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn for more delicious plant-based recipes! You can find our entire selection of quarantine cooking here on our website too! Until next time, Soupologistas!
Super Soft Bread
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl x2
- Kitchen Scales
- Measuring Jug
- Chopping Board (optional)
- Tea Towel
- loaf tin
- Serrated Knife
Ingredients
- 500 g Bread Flour plus more for dusting
- 2 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Caster Sugar
- 10 g Dried Active Yeast or Instant Yeast
- 1 ½ tbsp Margarine or Vegan Butter
- 300 ml Plant-Based Milk slightly warmed
- Olive Oil for greasing
Instructions
- Pour the bread flour into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the salt and caster sugar to one side of the bowl.
- On the other side of the bowl, add the yeast.
- Add the margarine to the bowl.
- Slightly warm up the plant-based milk in the microwave until luke-warm. In this recipe, I used soy milk. Then, add most of the milk to the bowl. If you find the dough is a bit too dry, then you can add the rest of the milk.
- Using *clean* fingertips, mix the dough together. If you’re unsure about any of these steps, don’t forget you can watch a step-by-step video guide on our Instagram stories.
- Lightly grease your work surface with olive oil to create a non-stick surface.
- Carefully tip the shaggy dough onto the work surface and knead the dough for 5-10 minutes.
- To knead, use your non-dominant hand to hold onto the bottom of the dough. With the heel of your dominant hand, push the top of the dough away from you in one movement, tearing the dough. Fold the dough in half towards you and give it a quarter turn. Continue kneading for about 5-10 minutes.
- The dough is very sticky to begin with, it’ll stick to the board and to your hands quite a bit! However, keep kneading and by about 4-5 minutes, you’ll notice the dough becomes much smoother, sticks less and almost forms a soft skin.
- Once you’ve finished kneading, form the dough into a ball and set aside.
- Lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and allow it to prove at room temperature for an hour.
- Once the dough has risen, lightly dust your work surface with flour.
- Turn out the dough onto your work surface. Lightly dust the stickier side of the dough with some flour.
- Then, using clean fingers or knuckles, gently press out the dough into a circular shape. Use your fingers and knuckles to lightly indent the dough all over, pressing out some of the air.
- Next, fold both sides of the dough into the centre. This will create a cone-like shape. Flatten the dough again using your fingertips or knuckles. Check the dough isn’t sticking to your work surface – if it is, you can lightly dust underneath the dough with some more flour.
- Aim to make the base of the folded dough nearest to you roughly the same size as the length of your loaf tin. Roll over the top of the dough, using your fingers to press down the roll into the dough.
- Before you make the next roll, use your thumbs to slightly push the dough away. Continue to roll the dough all way down, rolling then pushing away with your thumbs, rolling, pushing away…until the dough is fully rolled up. Once you reach a loaf-like shape, roll the dough back and forth slightly to seal the seam at the base.
- Next, use a serrated knife to create 4-5 slashes across the top of the dough.
- Lightly oil your loaf tin and place the loaf inside, seam-side down. To achieve a rustic look, sprinkle some flour over the top of the dough. Cover the loaf with a tea towel and allow it to rise for a further hour in a warm place.
- Preheat the oven to 210°C/410°F.
- Place the loaf tin in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Remove the loaf tin from the oven and allow the bread to cool for about 30 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!