Easy Thermomix Bread Recipe

Recipes you HAVE to make in your NEW Thermomix

There are a number of recipes that I feel are the cornerstone of learning just how much your Thermomix can do for you. These recipes show how versatile the machine is, and how many basic foods you can make in bulk without spending a lot of time in the kitchen.

I always encourage my new owners to try these as a skill-building exercise.

• Grate cheese - 250g cheese, cut in ¼. 4 sec/Speed 9.
• Greek Yoghurt Making
• Perfect Thermomix White Rice
• Cooking Spaghetti in the Thermomix
• Making Fluffy Mash Potato
• Pumpkin Soup
• Thermomix Bread

Basic Bread Ingredients

Bread in its most basic form can be as simple as flour and water, in the case of a flatbread. This recipe includes 6 ingredients, and they all have a specific purpose.

Flour

Bread baking requires flour with a high gluten content. Gluten is the protein found in wheat. Gluten gives the loaf its structure, it allows the bread to rise and not collapse while it's proofing. Bakers flour, or bread flour has a gluten content of 12-14%. For comparison, regular all-purpose flour has 8-11% gluten and cake flour 6%.

I'm based in Australia and I buy Wallaby Bakers Flour. It's available in Woolworths and Coles and the 5kg bags are very cost effective. I've discussed this further in my article "How to Save Money with your Thermomix"

Yeast

Yeast is a beautiful living organism that gives the bread the ability to rise. The bubbles in the dough occur when the dormant yeast becomes active and starts to expel carbon dioxide. I love this miraculous microbe, think of it as your baby. Nurture your baby and it will make a light airy loaf of bread for you.

I used dried yeast. Although dried yeast doesn't need any special treatment to activate the more love you show it the quicker your bread will prove. In cold weather, I add a few extra steps to activate even my dry yeast. Place the yeast in a cup of warm water from the recipe. Then add the sugar and stir. Allow this mixture to sit in a warm spot until it starts to look frothy. This gives the yeast a head start on becoming active and ready to feed on the flour.

If you are using fresh yeast you should always adopt this method. Take a look here for more information about fresh yeast.

Water

Simple tap water is fine for our Thermomix bread. Use warm water at approximately the same temperature you would use to bathe a baby. Yeast will start to die when the temperature is over 50 degrees Celsius. It is happiest between 25 - 35 degrees Celsius.

Bread Improver

Adding bread improver is optional but it improves the texture of the bread. The loaf will be lighter. The bread improver works by conditioning the flour, it helps strengthen the gluten bonds allowing the dough to hold more carbon dioxide. If you're concerned about chemicals in your bread you needn't worry. This ingredient is made from ascorbic acid, otherwise known as vitamin C

You can also substitute bread improver for two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar. The resultant loaf will have a slight sourdough taste.

Oil

Oil has a few functions in the bread recipe. It provides flavour, and helps the flour retain the gases it developed during the proving time ensuring a risen loaf. Once the bread is baked the oil also slows the degradation of the loaf. The crumb will stay soft longer and resist becoming stale.

Salt

This is another ingredient with a few functions. It provides flavour, and also helps strengthen and tighten the gluten matrix allowing the dough to retain the gases it developed during the proving time ensuring a risen loaf. The final function is as a fermentation inhibitor. It slows the yeast progression as it consumes the sugars in the flour. If it overconsumed the flour the loaf would lose structure. It's a balancing act.

Please remember that salt is a fermentation inhibitor and never add salt, yeast, and water together. They should always be separated by flour or the salt may kill the yeast.

Sugar

Although some recipes don't include sugar in a basic bread recipe I think it is important. Sugar is nutrition for the yeast. It is readily available for consumption and the yeast will become active more quickly when it's used.

As an immediate food source for the yeast the sugar is broken down first. Without sugar, the yeast will break down starch in the flour and convert it to glucose before any carbon dioxide (bubbles in the bread) can occur.

Bread Making Utensils

Once you have the Thermomix there isn't much else you need. Most kitchens will have the usual items such as a wire cooling rack, plastic wrap/ or a tea towel.

• A pre-warmed ThermoServer or Heat Proof Dish
• Jumbo Bread Tin

More Thermomix Bread Recipes

Once you have made your first loaf you will want to put your new skills to the test and try some more bread recipes.

• Quick Pizza Dough
• Buffalo Chicken Pizza
• Cheesymite Scrolls
• Cheese & Garlic Star Bread
• Cinnamon Scrolls
• Hot Cross Buns
• Thermomix Bread
• Thermomix Bread

Step 1 - Make the Dough

Add the yeast, water, and sugar to the Thermomix. Warm for 1 min allowing time for the yeast to activate. On a cold day warm 10 - 15 minutes. Then add the remaining ingredients.

Select knead on the Thermomix. Kneading activates the gluten giving the bread structure.

Step 2 - Form a Ball - Proof the Dough

Remove the dough from the Thermomix and form a tight ball. Place the dough in a Pre-warm and lightly oil the Thermoserver.

Allow the dough to proof until it has doubled in size. The ThermoServer lid may be starting to lift.

Step 3 - Shaping the Dough

Remove the dough and place it on an oiled bench. Divide the dough into two. Form each ball so the top of the dough is pulled taut, and the seams are pulled under. Place each ball in the tin with space to expand.

Step 4 - Second Proof

Cover the bread with oil then with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Place it in a warm spot and allow it to prove again.

The bread must be allowed to prove until it has risen above the bread tin. It will not continue to rise when it's baking.

Step 5 - Bake the Bread

Place the tin on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 30- 35 minutes or until golden brown. To test the loaf tap in the middle. It should sound hollow.

Step 6 - Allow to Cool

Remove the bread from the oven and turn it out, onto a wire rack to cool.