Trampoline Bread

This is such a great basic bread to master. I make this loaf every weekend, sometimes I leave it plain, sometimes I may add some olives, but my favourite flavouring of all is aniseed. The tiny seeds give the loaf a subtle fragrant undertone that works brilliantly. You may be wondering where trampolines fit into all of this. Well, they don’t really – the bread only affectionately being named so by a friend after likening its bounce and springiness to that of a trampoline. A pleasing remark to the ears of a baker and a name that I have proudly given the recipe.

📷Lisa Linder

SERVES 6–8

Use a 21 cm (8 ½ inch) round, 6cm (2 ½ inch) deep loose-bottomed non-stick cake tin (or a large loaf tin/pan)

500g (1 lb 2 oz/3 ⅔ cups)

strong white bread flour,

plus extra for dusting

2 tsp salt

7g (¼ oz) sachet of easy-bake

yeast

320ml (10 ½ fl oz/generous

1 ⅓ cups) water

50ml (2 fl oz/scant ¼ cup)

olive oil, plus extra for oiling

1 tsp aniseed (optional)

Secure the dough hook to the mixer and place the flour, salt and yeast into the bowl, keeping the yeast apart. Warm the water and add the oil to it. With the mixer running, pour in the liquid, allowing the machine to mix and knead the dough for about 8 minutes, checking after this time. If the dough looks sticky and is still clinging to the sides of the bowl, add a dessertspoon of flour and knead for a further 2 minutes. The dough should be cohesive and smooth and should spring back if pinched between your fingers.

Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough into it. Rub the top of the dough with a little olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with clingfilm (plastic wrap). Leave the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in size. This will take at least 1. hours but sometimes longer, so do be patient.

Dust a work surface lightly with flour and ease the dough out of the bowl onto it. Handle the dough lightly and gently and spread it out a little – by no means do I mean flatten it. Sprinkle over the aniseed or other flavourings, if using, and fold the dough into itself and knead again, gently rolling it under your hands and bringing it into a ball shape.

Turn the dough over and placing a hand at each side, slide each in opposite directions, manipulating the dough into a neat round loaf. Place it in the baking tin (pan), cover loosely with clingfilm and leave to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/425°F/gas 7.

Bake in the middle of the preheated oven, spraying the oven with water before closing the door – this will create steam while the loaf is baking, giving a lovely crispy crust. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the loaf from the tin, returning to the oven upside down. Bake for a further 10 minutes or so, until the loaf is golden, crisp, and sounds hollow when the bottom is tapped. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.