Artisan bread
Description
It goes perfectly with tea and coffee. The aroma of fresh bread is one of the most appealing things there is—not to mention the taste, which simply cannot compare to store‑bought bread. That’s why I’ve been baking “artisan” bread for several years now. Once you’ve established a starter, you won’t want to stop: bread baking is such an absorbing process. Today I’m sharing the recipe for the bread I bake most often, since it’s the one my household loves best. I hope my step‑by‑step recipe will help you bake delicious bread too. Serve warm or cooled. Ideal with tea.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients.
- 2
Step 2
Into the vessel for mixing the dough, pour in water, add wheat sourdough starter; you may add a pinch of fresh yeast for more active fermentation.
- 3
Step 3
Add the flour and knead the dough.
- 4
Step 4
During fermentation, perform three folds using the stretch-and-fold method every hour. After that, put the dough in the refrigerator for 8–10 hours.
- 5
Step 5
Take the dough out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you work with it so it warms up and fermentation can pick up. Lightly flour the work surface, place the dough on it, and stretch it into a sheet. Fold the edge of the dough toward you by about one third.
- 6
Step 6
Fold the side edges of the dough inward.
- 7
Step 7
Finally roll the dough into a loaf, seal the seam well and roll lightly so it evens out. Place the dough on a baking sheet to proof with the seam downward; proof for 45–60 minutes. Then use a sharp knife to make slashes on top in any pattern you like.
- 8
Step 8
Bake the bread for the first 10 minutes at 250°C, then lower the temperature to 180°C and bake for another 40–45 minutes. Bread baked this way is incredibly good—aromatic, with a crispy crust—impossible to resist.
- 9
Step 9
The baked goods are ready. Serve with tea.