1. For a perfectly round freeform loaf, lightly flour work surface. Shape dough into a rough ball. Using both hands, pull sides of dough underneath ball, tucking ends underneath. Keep repeating motion and dough will come together into a tight, smooth round with no visible creases or joins.
2. Put on a floured baking tray and cover in cling film to prove.
3. Before baking, sprinkle with flour and create further shape by slashing top with a cross shape to stop crust cracking.
4. Bread rolls can be made using same technique as loaves. Cut dough into equal roll sized pieces and tuck underside into itself, smoothing top and sides at same time as turning. Cover each roll in cling film once shaped, to prevent drying out whilst making others.
5. Alternatively, mould into a rough ball with hands, then put on worktop and press down flat under palm. Roll in a circular motion, gradually cupping hand so dough forms into a ball underneath. Leave on a floured tray covered in cling film to prove.
6. To make a simple plaited loaf, divide dough into 3 equal pieces and roll each piece into fairly thick ropes of equal length.
7. Lay 3 pieces lengthways. Pinch them together at top to secure them, then plait them together: take right piece over middle piece, then left piece over middle piece. Repeat all way down bread and secure bottom. Tuck both ends under so bread holds its shape whilst proving and baking.
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Pro Chef’s knife, Zwilling J.A. Henckels. Chopping board, baking tray, chef's own.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
