This is the loaf we teach on the first half of our Saturday class, written down so you can make it without us. It needs no starter, no mixer and almost no kneading. It does need time, so start it the evening before you want to bake.
Ingredients
- 500 g strong white bread flour
- 10 g fine salt
- 2 g instant yeast (about half a teaspoon)
- 375 g water at room temperature
Method
- In a large bowl, stir the flour, salt and yeast together. Add the water and mix with a spoon or your hand until there is no dry flour left. It will look rough and sticky. That is correct.
- Cover the bowl and leave it at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. The dough is ready when it has roughly doubled and the surface is dotted with bubbles.
- Tip the dough onto a floured surface, fold the edges into the middle to make a rough ball, and turn it seam-side down. Rest it for an hour under a tea towel.
- Put a lidded cast-iron pot in the oven and heat to 240°C for 30 minutes.
- Lift the dough into the hot pot, cover, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake 15 minutes more, until the crust is deep brown.
- Cool on a rack for at least an hour before cutting. The inside is still cooking.
Once this works for you, swap 100 g of the white flour for wholemeal. Once that works, come to the class and we will talk you into a starter.