Everyone who ever tasted this bread loves it. This recipe is easy to make and you can vary it with different flours according to taste. My greatest baking inspiration (other than my awesome dad) is a Swedish guy called "Pain de Martin" and his books have taught me how to make this type of bread for everyday enjoyment.
This recipe calls for fresh yeast. You can buy this from Ocado and I think you get better results than with dried yeast (however, you can bake with dried yeast or no yeast, which I'll revisit in later blog posts).
Ingredients:
For the sponge:
100g active sourdough starter (I use a sourdough starter made from wholemeal rye flour)
150g lukewarm water
150g strong wheat flour
For the dough:
The sponge you made the previous evening
500g lukewarm water
7g fresh yeast
800g strong white bread flour
20g salt
Method:
1. The night before you want to make the loaf, make the sponge in a large bowl (preferably the bowl of a mixer/kneader). Cover with cling film and leave to rest for around 8-12 hours.
2. Mix the water, yeast and flour with the sponge, ideally in a mixer with dough hook, for about 8 minutes. Add the salt and keep mixing for 2 minutes. Prepare a large container (I use a plastic box with lid) by greasing it with vegetable/rapeseed oil and transfer the dough to it.
3. Cover with a lid or cling film and leave to rise for a total of 2 hours. After the first hour, using wet hands, stretch and fold the dough a few times. Repeat this 30 minutes later, at which time you start heating the oven to its highest setting (275°C is ideal). Unless you've got an oven with steam setting, place a metal bowl or similar hardy container at the bottom of the oven (for ice cubes that will create steam).
4. When the dough has risen for about two hours and it’s double the original size, turn it out onto a prepared/floured work surface and divide in two. Gently pull each half to a rectangle and fold once. Transfer to the hot baking tray in the oven, adjusting the temperature to 250°C. Place a few ice cubes in the metal container in the oven, to create a steamy atmosphere which helps the bread rise and develop a good crust. After 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 200°C (open and close the oven door to let some steam escape) and keep keep checking until the breads have baked for a total of 30-35 minutes (if you have a digital thermometer use it to measure the internal temperature reaching 96°C). Leave to cool for a minimum of 20 mins before cutting; enjoy!
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