Bread is a staple in our household, how about yours. Who doesn't love freshly baked bread. Place all ingredients into a bowl give it a stir, cover and leave over night at room temperature. While you sleep the dough is quietly rising when you wake in the morning you give it a few turns, shape it, rise it, then bake it. Does this sound easy? No kneading is required. When your bread is done baking it will have an awesome golden crispy crust. The recipe has only 4 ingredients, flour, yeast, salt and water.
Loaf on the left has sliced kalamata olives added to the dough
Loaf on the right is a combination of white and wholemeal flours
Equipment: one large stainless steel or glass bowl. 1 dutch oven with lid or 1 large cooking pot with fitting lid that is oven proof
MAKES ONE LARGE LOAF
I am using a combination of white and wholemeal flours. When mixing the dough you may need to add more water than the recipe calls for. Add a little at a time just until the dough comes together as explained below. Dough needs to be a little on the wet side.
INGREDIENTS
150g Organic bakers wholemeal flour
300g Organic white plain flour
3g active dry yeast
5g - 10g salt
310g filtered cold water (at room temperature)
METHOD
*Into a bowl place flours and yeast. Give this a good stir around then add the salt and stir again. If salt and yeast are not separated by stirring and added at the same time it can effect the rising of the bread.
*Next make a well in the centre and add the water, stir to combine ensuring all the flour is incorporated.
*The mixture needs to come together to form a shaggy dough. You may ask what does that look like? It is when the dough mixture looks lumpy yet mixed well with no dry spots or flour present.
*The dough is not to be mixed to form a smooth dough. The smoothness will come with the slow rising of the dough over night.
*Once you have achieved the shaggy dough, cover with plastic wrap and rise over night at room temperature. ( place plastic wrap over bowl, spray with oil then flip the plastic wrap so the oiled side is facing the dough this helps prevent rising dough sticking to plastic).
*After dough has been rising over night at least 8 to 10 hours or until dough has doubled in size, remove the plastic wrap and give the dough a few folds and turns in a scooping motion, working your way around the bowl.
* Cover with plastic wrap again and let it rise for a further 1 - 2 hours.
*Remove dough from bowl onto a well floured surface and shape it into a round ball. *Then transfer to a sheet of baking paper lightly sprinkle with flour and cover with oil sprayed plastic wrap (just lay it on top of the dough) and clean tea towel.
*Let dough rest for the final rise for 1 hour more.
PREHEAT THE DUTCH OVEN WITH THE LID ON THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE YOU START BAKING THE BREAD
* Oven temperature needs to be set at 230 degrees Celsius.
*Dutch oven needs to be set on the middle or lower rack.
*Make 3 even shallow cuts across the top of the loaf ( this allows the bread to expand while it is baking).
*Remove the dutch oven and using the parchment paper as a sling gently lower the loaf still on the paper into the dutch oven.
*Place the lid back on and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, then remove the lid and bake a further 20 to 25 minutes.
*Remove and cool on wire rack.
*Wrap bread in baking paper for storage.
Going to try these breads