I call this the Sunday Italian loaf because I bake it almost every Sunday. Sunday is my only day off and a quick loaf of bread to go with the braai is vital. The high amount of yeast helps with quick fermentation, which means I can start at 7 am and have the bread ready at lunchtime.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Accurate scale
- 1kg Oval bannetons
Ingredients
- 840 g stone ground bread flour
- 625 g lukewarm water
- 15 g sugar
- 15 g salt
- 10 g yeast
Instructions
- Autolyse: Mix together only the flour and water to form a dough. There is no need for kneading in this recipe, so just mix until all the flour is incorporated. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes: Sprinkle the salt and yeast over the top of the dough and mix it by folding the dough over itself and by using your index finger and thumb like pinchers to squeeze through the dough. No, the salt won't kill the instant yeast, in case you were wondering.
- Now set your timer for 15 minutes. The dough will require 4 folds in the first hour of fermentation.
- After 15 minutes: Fold the dough by reaching under it with your fingers, grab and pull up and over. You are basically folding the dough over itself. Only pull the dough as far as it will stretch without tearing,
- then fold it over itself.
- Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until you come full circle. Think of it as the face of a clock, fold at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o clock.
- Repeat this process 3 more times in 15-minute intervals. You are basically developing the gluten network of the bread without the hassle of kneading.
- Cover and leave the dough to rise until about triple in volume.
- Turn the dough out, carefully, on a floured surface. Mark the middle of the dough with a line of flour. This is where we will cut and divide the dough.
- Cut the dough into two equal loaves.
- Now for shaping the loaves. I do not use any fancy folding techniques. Simply pull the dough towards yourself over a non floured section of the work surface. Turn the dough 360' and repeat. You will feel the loaf tighten up as you do this.
- Transfer the loaves to two proving baskets, seam side up, and dust with flour. Cover and prove for 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 240'C at least 30 minutes before baking. This will ensure proper heat saturation. Place an empty tray at the bottom of the oven during preheating. This will become our steam tray.
- Turn the dough out on a baking tray. To make the scoring easy, place the tray in your freezer for 15 minutes before scoring it.
- Score the bread as you like, I just cut down the middle, and bake for 30 minutes or until dark golden brown.
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