Preparation | Resting | Cooking | Start to finish |
---|---|---|---|
50 min. | 5 hours 30 min. | 40 min. | 7 hours |
1 | In bread-making, the water temperature is always important. It's not a fixed value, but related to 3 other temperatures: 1) the temperature of your flour, 2) the room temperature in your kitchen, and 3) the basic temperature of this recipe, which is 56-60°C. You can calculate the temperature of the water for this recipe in one click, using this small calculator. | ![]() |
2 | Put into the mixer bowl just 1 kg plain white flour (French Type 65) and 550 ml water at the right temperature. Knead at minimum speed for 3 minutes. | ![]() |
3 | Leave the dough in the mixer, cover with a plastic sheet, and leave to rest for 1 hour. | ![]() |
4 | At the end of this time, add 18 g fine (or table) salt, 500 g leaven and 2 g yeast. | ![]() |
5 | Knead at minimum speed for 10 minutes. Note: For the best way to knead, see: A few tips for effective kneading at home. | ![]() |
6 | After kneading, you can check the temperature of the dough, which should be 75°F (24°C), or better try the window-pane test. | ![]() |
7 | Turn the ugh out onto the worktop and gather into a rough ball. | ![]() |
8 | Put the dough into a large floured bowl. Cover with a plastic sheet, and leave to rest in a warm place for 1.5 to 2 hours. | ![]() |
9 | After resting, tip the dough onto your worktop. | ![]() |
10 | Divide into lumps of 500 grams (small loaves) or 1 kilo (large loaf). | ![]() |
11 | Shape each lump of dough into a ball, cover with a plastic sheet and leave to rest for 30 minutes. | ![]() |
12 | Press the dough flat again before shaping into round or long loaves. | ![]() |
13 | Put into floured bannetons (rising baskets). | ![]() |
14 | Cover with a plastic sheet and leave to rest for 2 hours. | ![]() |
15 | As these actions are rather difficult to describe, you can watch this short demonstration video on the right. | ![]() |
16 | Preheat the oven to 240°C or 464°F. Dust each loaf with flour, then turn it over onto the peel (bread oven "shovel") and slash it across the top. | ![]() |
17 | Put in the for approximately 40 minutes (check near the end of cooking time). Note: As when baking any bread, you should ensure that the oven is filled with steam for the first 15 minutes of baking. This page shows you how; it really is the secret of golden-brown, crusty loaves.. | ![]() |