We all have cravings, and thank heavens if you get a chance to quench yours. Unfortunately, it’s not every time that you will be able to satisfy your appetite. For example, what would you do if you’re seriously craving bread yet don’t have an oven to bake it?
While buying ready-baked bread may still be an option, some cravings are so specific that only home-baked bread will quench them. Can an air fryer do the trick? We have cruised the internet to answer whether you can bake bread in an air fryer or not. Check this out.
The short answer is yes. You can easily bake any bread in your air fryer. However, it also depends on which type of air fryer is in the picture. For instance, some air fryers have multiple cooking functions, including baking and toasting. This means it will be easier for you to bake bread in such air fryers than in those without such functions.
If your air fryer has a baking function, you simply need to follow the recipe and use the baking function to get your bread ready in a few minutes. Also, note that baking bread in an air fryer means that you should resize and reshape your dough into smaller pieces that will fit into the air fryer.
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How Long to Bake Bread in Air Fryer?
Baking bread in an air fryer only takes about 15 minutes at most. However, you may spend more time kneading dough and general prepping. For instance, once you finish kneading your dough, you need to cover and let it sit for about one hour.
During this time, yeast acts on the dough by feeding on the sugars present, resulting in the release of carbon dioxide gas. This process causes the dough to rise and become lighter, healthier, and sponge-like in texture.
The air fryer also significantly saves baking time because you don’t need to preheat it like you would with an oven. With an oven, you will likely have to add about 5 minutes to your baking time for preheating. An air fryer is also a perfect option for anyone trying to avoid the heat of an oven, especially in summer times.
How to Bake Air Fryer Bread
An air fryer-baked bread is naturally healthier and tastier. This is because this bread does not need much oil to bake properly. It also browns faster, saving you time in the kitchen. To bake bread in the air fryer, you will need the following: –
Ingredients
- Wheat flour/all-purpose flour
- Active dry yeast
- Salt
- Butter
- Sugar
- Warm water
Apparatus
- Air fryer
- Round pan
- Stand mixer
Procedure
As earlier mentioned, baking golden brown bread requires almost 2 hours of cooking time. However, much of the time will go to prepping since baking only takes a few minutes. Follow these steps to prep and bake your bread using an air fryer.
Step 1: Apply butter to a round pan and set it aside.
The first step is to apply unsalted butter, pan spray, or oil to your round pan and put it aside for later use. It is the perfect way to prepare your round pan for baking. This process is important as it creates a barrier between the pan and the dough, preventing possible sticking.
Therefore, you will find it easier to place and remove dough from the round pan without worrying about sticking. Applying butter also provides a smooth surface where the dough can easily spread during baking.
Step 2: Prepare dough.
Add wheat flour, salt, granulated sugar, butter, and active yeast in a stand mixer. The quantities you put should depend on the size of bread you want to bake or the number of loaves you intend to produce.
However, only add about 1 cup of flour to the mixer for a start. Also, make sure the dough hook attachment is in the right place before you start.
Add a cup of warm water to the mixer and switch on the stand mixer. For a start, knead the mixture on low speed, adding more flour and warm water, a little at a time. Once the flour mixture is satisfactory, tune the stand mixer to medium speed and continue kneading for about 8 minutes until you achieve your perfect consistency.
Step 3: Let the dough settle.
Once your dough is ready, transfer it from the stand mixer to the round pan you oiled in step 1 above. Cover it using an aluminum foil, a plastic wrap, or a lint-free damp towel. Before you cover the dough, you may also want to spray some oil on the wrap to avoid possible sticking. Let the covered dough sit in a dry place for about 1 hour.
Covering is important as it gives yeast enough time to act on the sugars in the dough. It also traps moisture and prevents the dough from forming a crust on top while keeping flies and other insects at bay. During this one hour, the dough will rise and become fluffier as the yeast acts on it.
Step 4: Place the dough in the air fryer and bake
Take the well-risen dough, shape it as you desire, and place it in a pre-oiled air fryer basket. Perform some presets, such as selecting the baking temperature and time.
Three hundred eighty degrees Fahrenheit should be enough to bake your bread fully. If your air fryer has a bake function, you can also select it and start the baking process.
The cook time is about 8-15 minutes, depending on how hot your air fryer is. It may also depend on the size of the bread because smaller loaves bake faster. You can keep checking the progress of the dough and observe the browning. Please turn off the air fryer once the bread is ready and remove it.
Final Words
It is obviously possible to bake bread in an air fryer. It is even easier if you have an air fryer with an incorporated bake function. You have to mix your ingredients well, let the dough settle for some time, shape it, and bake it. You won’t have to crave bread anymore if you have an air fryer around.
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