Baking Bread - Mixing The Dough
You can mix dough in 3 ways, depending on the length of time you have, but the quickest is the one mix method.
The One Mix Method
Add the flour, salt and yeast to the bowl first and mix, then add the water and oil. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands, then use your hands to form a rough, soft dough. If the dough is dry, add more water drop by drop.
The Two Stage Mix Method
This takes a little longer, but the results are worth the wait whilst kneading effort is reduced. Mix the flour and water first to form a rough dough, cover and let it rest for half an hour or so. This allows gluten to develop making the dough easier to knead which is useful if you have a batch of loaves to make. Then add the salt and yeast (and oils if required), mix them all together then knead.
Sponge Mix Method
This method requires patience and time, but if you start the process in the evening and leave overnight, you will have a wonderful dough to work with in the morning. Begin by creating the dough mix of half the flour with all of the water and yeast and leave it for several hours. This will allow the yeast to strongly ferment giving a more flavoursome loaf. Once fermented, add the rest of the flour and the salt and mix it into a dough, adding oil or butter if required.
