Air-Fried Bread: Uk's Quick, Crispy Treat

Air fryers are a fantastic alternative to traditional deep frying, offering a healthier way to cook your food. You can make fried bread in an air fryer, and it's super easy! All you need to do is brush your bread with a bit of oil, pop it in the air fryer, and you're pretty much done. You can use any type of bread, and the air fryer will give you that delightful crispiness and golden-brown goodness.

Air fryer bread recipes

Yes, you can! Air-fried bread is a healthier alternative to deep-fried bread and is easy to make. It is also a versatile dish that can be served with sweet or savoury toppings and alongside a variety of meals.

Recipe 1: Air Fryer No-Knead Bread

This recipe requires just four ingredients and is perfect for sandwiches or toast. It is also quick to make, and you can add extra ingredients such as cheese, nuts, or other ingredients to your loaf.

Ingredients:

• Flour (all-purpose or whole wheat)
• Salt (to taste)
• Instant yeast or active dry yeast
• Water (room temperature)

Instructions:

• Mix the flour, salt, yeast, and water in a large bowl until well incorporated. The dough will be sticky.
• Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 2-3 hours, or until doubled in size.
• Preheat your air fryer to 400°F for 20 minutes with an air fryer-safe baking dish inside (up to an 8" pan, depending on the size of your air fryer).
• Flour your hands and sprinkle flour over the dough. Shape the dough into a ball and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Cover and let it rest until the pan is preheated.
• Remove the pan from the air fryer basket and place the dough, with the parchment paper, into the pan. Score the top of the dough with a sharp knife, then cover the pan with aluminium foil.
• Bake the bread for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown. You can turn the bread upside down halfway through to brown the bottom.
• The bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Recipe 2: Air Fryer Fried Bread

This recipe is perfect for a quick and easy breakfast and can be made with any type of bread. It also uses less oil than traditional fried bread.

Ingredients:

• Bread (thick slices of white bread work well)
• Olive oil or melted butter
• Optional: Your choice of seasonings (e.g. garlic powder, mixed herbs, salt)

Instructions:

• Brush both sides of the bread lightly with olive oil or melted butter.
• (Optional) Sprinkle your desired seasonings over the bread.
• Preheat your air fryer to 180°C (350°F).
• Place the bread in the air fryer basket in a single layer and cook for 4-5 minutes.
• Flip the bread and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

Recipe 3: Air Fryer Bread

This recipe makes a simple loaf of soft white bread and is much faster than baking bread in the oven.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 teaspoons of instant yeast (or active yeast, but this will increase the rising time)
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
• 1 egg, whisked with a tablespoon of water for an egg wash

Instructions:

• Add the yeast to a bowl of warm water and let it sit for 3-5 minutes, or until it blooms and becomes bubbly.
• Add in the flour, sugar, milk, butter, and salt. Gently fold the ingredients together until well combined.
• Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, then shape it into a ball.
• Place the dough in a springform pan lined with parchment paper or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
• Cover the pan and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
• Brush the top of the loaf with the egg wash.
• Place the pan in the air fryer basket and air fry at 320°F for 8-10 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown.

The benefits of using an air fryer

Air fryers offer a multitude of benefits for cooking, and can be used for a wide variety of foods, including fried bread. Here are some reasons why using an air fryer is a great idea:

Size, Time and Energy Usage

Air fryers are ideal for cooking smaller quantities. They heat up the space that food fits into, requiring less energy, and the heat source is much closer to the food. This means that cooking time is often much faster than with traditional ovens.

Less Oil

Air fryers use significantly less oil than traditional frying methods. This means you can enjoy fried foods with fewer calories and less fat.

Easy and Convenient

Air frying is simple and straightforward. Most of the time, you just brush your food with a bit of oil, pop it in the air fryer, and you’re done. There's no need to stand over the stove, and there's no splatter to clean up afterwards.

Consistent Results

Air fryers circulate hot air around food, ensuring even cooking and a uniform texture. This means you get delicious, consistent results every time.

Experiment with Flavours

You can easily add different seasonings and toppings to your fried bread, making it a versatile snack or accompaniment to meals. From sweet to savoury, the possibilities are endless.

Various Bread Types

You can use any type of bread in the air fryer, from sourdough to whole wheat. This means you can customise your fried bread to your taste and dietary preferences.

How to make fried bread in an air fryer

Ingredients

• Bread (any kind, but cheap, thick, white sliced bread is traditional)
• Oil (olive oil, vegetable oil, or melted butter)
• Salt and pepper (optional)

Method

• Brush both sides of the bread with oil. You can add a pinch of salt and pepper if you like.
• Place the bread in the air fryer basket.
• Cook at 180-200°C for 4-5 minutes, then flip the bread over and cook for another 2-5 minutes. You are aiming for a golden brown colour and crispy texture.
• Check and serve. Allow the bread to cool for a minute before eating.

Tips

• If you are cooking bacon or sausages in your air fryer, you can cook the bread at the same time by placing it underneath so that it soaks up the fat.
• You can also cook the bread after the bacon or sausages are done and baste it with the fatty dripings.
• If you don't have any meat dripings or want to keep the fried bread vegetarian-friendly, you can use vegetable oil or butter.
• If you are cooking more than one slice of bread, you may need to do them in batches so that they fit in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
• Air fryers vary, so you may need to adjust the cooking time and temperature to suit your model.

How to make air fryer bread

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Yeast (rapid rise or instant)
• Salt
• Water (room temperature)
• Sugar (optional)
• Butter or oil
• Egg (whisked with a tablespoon of water)

Utensils:

• Air fryer
• Mixing bowl
• Deep cake tin or springform pan
• Wire rack
• Knife
• Pastry brush
• Tongs
• Plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel
• Parchment paper

Method:

• Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine the dry ingredients.
• Pour in the water and melted butter. Mix together with a spoon or a dough hook until there are no dry streaks of flour and you have a sticky dough.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 2-3 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
• Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes with a cake tin or springform pan inside.
• Flour your hands and a work surface. Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a ball.
• Place the dough in the greased tin or pan, and cover it with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let it rise for 30 minutes to an hour.
• Score the top of the dough with a knife and brush the sides with melted butter or oil.
• Place the tin or pan in the air fryer and cook for 15 minutes at 400°F (200°C).
• Lower the heat to 350°F (180°C) and cook for a further 25-30 minutes.
• Remove the tin or pan from the air fryer and take out the bread. Place the loaf back in the air fryer and cook for another 5-10 minutes to ensure the bottom of the bread is baked evenly.
• Tap the bottom of the bread – if it sounds hollow, it is cooked. Alternatively, use a digital thermometer to check if the internal temperature is about 200°F (over 95°C).
• Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Tips:

• If you have time, you can knead the dough after it has rested for 15 minutes. Grease your hands with a little oil and stretch one corner of the dough from the underside over to the middle. Turn the bowl and repeat this action a few times.
• If you want to make fried bread, brush both sides of a slice of bread with oil or melted butter and place it in the air fryer basket. Cook at 200°C for 4-5 minutes, then flip the bread and cook for another 2-4 minutes.

Air fryer bread tips

Ingredients

You will need four basic ingredients: flour, yeast, salt, and water. You can also add sugar and a little melted butter to enhance the flavor.

Air Fryer Type

The type of air fryer you have will determine the size of the pan you can use. For example, if you have a basket air fryer, you will need to use a smaller pan than if you have an oven-style air fryer.

Temperature and Timing

Air fryer wattage and size will affect how your bread cooks. You may need to adjust the time and temperature to suit your air fryer model. As a guide, one recipe suggests preheating your air fryer to 200°C for 20 minutes with a 6-8" pan inside. Then, air fry your bread at 400°C for 20 minutes, covered with foil, before removing the foil and air frying for a further 10 minutes.

Bread Preparation

You can prepare your bread dough in a mixing bowl, combining the dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients. You can then use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment or your hands to knead the dough. If you are time-poor, you don't have to knead the dough, but you can do a couple of "stretch and folds" after the dough has rested for 15 minutes.

Rising

Cover your dough with a clean towel and place it somewhere warm to rise for an hour. You can also place the dough in a turned-off microwave or oven to prove.

Shaping

Once your dough has risen, you can shape it by gently stretching it into a rectangular shape. Then, fold the top towards the middle and the bottom over that, as you would a letter. Turn it sideways and fold it into a roll. Finally, use your hands to shape the dough into a ball, dusting with flour as needed.

Cooking

Place your shaped dough in a greased pan that fits in your air fryer. Score the top of the bread with a knife and brush the sides with a little melted butter so it doesn't stick. Place the pan in the air fryer and cook for 15 minutes at 200°C. Lower the heat to 180°C and cook for a further 30 minutes.

Testing if the Bread is Cooked

Tap the bottom of the bread, and if you hear a hollow sound, it is cooked. Alternatively, use a digital thermometer to check if the internal temperature at the core is about 95°C.

Storing

The best way to store bread is to slice it and freeze it. You can then toast slices from frozen as and when you need them. The bread can also be placed in a bread bag or wrapped in a linen towel and stored at room temperature for up to three days.

Frequently asked questions