This is my favorite thing to make and then eat it while it is steaming hot with butter and green onions. This recipe was the result of many, many, many trials and errors. This recipe is equipment intensive and time consuming, spanning two days. Creating this bread is an act of love not a mixing of ingredients. Love the process, be patient and you will be rewarded!
We should start off with an equipment list:
- Oven that heats to 550F
- Dutch oven pan with a metal top handle suitable for high temperatures.
- I got this fairly priced 6 quart one ($70) at Bed Bath and Beyond
- If you want to go high end try Le Creuset ($350ish) at Amazon
- Parchment paper – any will do. Not waxed, not some other thing. Parchment paper.
- Banneton proofing baskets, I have 10 inch (a bit big), 8 – 9 inch better
- $25 at Amazon
- Plastic dough scraper
- Cost about $1, but get one free Banneton basket above or free with the silicone mat
- Plastic bucket or sealable plastic container.
- 2 for $20 Amazon
- Sharp scalpel or razor – sharper the better, can make do with any knife.
- Disposable scalpel $10 for 10 at Amazon
- Silicone rolling mat
- $10-ish Amazon
- Scale
- $26-ish Amazon
- Timer: They all are sucky. If you find a good one send me the link.
- Rice flour – not an ingredient, so goes here
- $10 Amazon
Only 4 ingredients + bit of human desire
- Bread flour is best (or any if all you have is all purpose, go for it) I use King Arthur’s Bread Flour
- Water (super clean if you can, I use tap water works just fine)
- Sea salt (any salt will do though, just be sure to weigh it)
- Yeast bread starter ready to go (must be ready - no exceptions, don’t force it)
I should first say this first... you will be making this when your yeast starter says you can, not whenever you want bread. I should also mention that this is two day recipe, so you will not be eating bread today if you are just now reading this - sorry!
Finally the Directions
Day 1 Directions
- Get out your scale and bucket.
- Place bucket on the scale and TARE it out to zero. (remove weight of bucket from measurement)
- Add 1000g of bread flour to the bucket
- Add 700g of warm water to the bucket (no need to temp check it)
- Stir mixture in your bucket until all flour is absorbed.
- Cover and leave on counter for 45 minutes. (precision timing not necessary)
- Put a 1 cup measuring cup on the scale and TARE it out to zero.
- Pour in your 800g (about 1 cup) of starter that is peaking out, light and bubbly, has a dome, smells sour and fresh, doubled or tripled in size and has passed the float test (adding a spoonful to a glass of water). If the starter is not ready, wait until it is.
- Use small cup or bowl to TARE out and weigh sea salt
- Add 20g of sea salt sprinkled all over.
- Stir this mixture until well mixed.
- Cover and leave for 30 minutes (2 hours total, messing with it every 30 minutes).
- Wash your hands. Time to get messy.
- Open your bucket and grab your dough by the edge and stretch it and fold it about 6 – 8 times on all sides. Leave in a rough ball.
- Close bucket leave for 30 minutes – then repeat stretching
- Close bucket leave for 30 minutes – then repeat stretching
- Close bucket leave for 30 minutes – then repeat stretching
- Every time you stretch it, it should feel different. Less mushy and wet and more firm and stretchy.
- Seal it and place it in the fridge until the next day.
Day 2 Directions
- Dust 2 banneton baskets with rice flour. Baskets are prepped by wetting and dusting with regular flour which is left on. Then add rice flour on top when using for bread.
- Remove your dough from the fridge
- Shape it into a rough ball shape.
- Place on counter for 30 minutes
- Put your silicone mat on the counter
- Lightly flour the mat
- Scrape the dough out of the bucket and onto the mat
- Cut into two equal parts.
- Pull the dough out out flattish
- Tug the sides and fold into itself as you go
- Roll the dough up into a ball
- Place top side (smoothest side) down into the floured banneton basket
- Repeat for second loaf
- Cover with banneton cover or towel
- Leave for 2 to 3 hours, maybe a little more. It depends a lot on your climate.
- Pre-heat your oven to 550F with your dutch over inside
- I place my dutch oven on a baking pan with some water in it to keep the bottom of my bread from burning, because I have a small oven.
- Check on your dough and when you press a finger into the top and it bounces back a little but leaves a dent it is ready.
- Tear off a healthy portion of parchment paper
- Hold parchment paper on top of the dough and turn the basket over on the counter. Hopefully it pops out without sticking like crazy.
- Score the top of the dough with your scalpel or razor (or whatever). I put cuts on top. you can go crazy making designs if your blade is sharp enough.
- Remove dutch over from hot oven.
- Carefully lift the dough by the parchment paper ends and set gently into the dutch oven and cover.
- Bake at 550F for 20 minutes
- Remove lid of dutch oven and cook for 15 minutes more to golden up the top.
- Remove and eat while it is hot. I recommend butter and fresh green onions. If you have a baked brie or spinach dip, you will also be happy!
- Enjoy!