White Farmhouse Loaf

From Jonathan and Gaynor's bakery.

Ingredients

• 500g strong white bread flour

• 7g salt

• 320g tepid water

• 15g fresh yeast (or 7g if dried)

Baker's percentages

• white strong bread flour

• 1.4% salt

• 64% water

• 3% fresh yeast (1.5% dried)

Method

Make the dough

1. Add yeast to water with a teaspoon of sugar

2. put flour and salt into bowl of mixer

3. add yeast/water once activated

4. bring together using dough hook on slowest setting

5. once all combined turn up speed to knead dough

6. after about 5 minutes turn onto a well floured surface

7. knead by hand until dough is springy

You can do all of stages 2 to 7 by hand if you prefer ✋ 💪

Let dough rise and shape

1. put dough into large bowl giving plenty of room to expand. Cover the bowl

2. once doubled in size. Approx 1 hour.

3. Turn out onto well floured surface. And knock back

4. shape your bread as you wish. Either into floured tins or a banneton for a more “rustic” look. Cover

5. once dough has doubled in size it is ready to cook

6. make sure you have low and medium shelves in the oven. Put a metal tray onto the low shelf

7. put your oven onto its hottest setting and give it plenty of time to get fully hot

8. put 100ml of water into a jug.

9. put your loaf onto the middle shelf and pour the water onto the metal tray on the low shelf. It’s important to do this as quickly as possible to stop the oven losing heat when the door is open

10. bake for 12-15 minutes

11. remove from oven and close oven door

12. if in tins take out.

13. return to oven at 220ºC for 8-10 minutes

14. remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack

15. enjoy!

Notes

Yum!