Rustic Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Mix together the flour, yeast and 1/2 tsp salt. Add the oil, then pour in the water gradually, adding enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 4-5 mins until the dough feels strong, bouncy and has a silky feel to it.
• Cut the dough into 8 pieces, then roll out into rough rounds about 16-17cm in diameter. (Don't pile them on top of each other or they will stick together.)
• Sprinkle a baking sheet or two with semolina if you have it, otherwise leave plain. Lay the breads on the sheets and let them sit for 5 mins, then scatter with rosemary, salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in batches for 8-10 mins until puffy and golden. Can be made 3-4 hrs ahead.

Steps:

• Mix water, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl until mixture becomes foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir flour into yeast mixture until well incorporated. The dough will be loose and look wet. Cover bowl loosely with a damp towel and let sit for about 5 hours.
• Shape dough into 2 loaves using damp hands. Place loaves on a cornmeal-dusted work surface and score the tops a few times with a sharp knife. Allow loaves to double in size, 30 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place loaves on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven, spraying the surface of the dough occasionally with water, until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Steps:

• BREAD MACHINE DIRECTIONS
• PLACE all ingredients except cornmeal and egg white in bread machine pan according to manufacturer's directions. Process on DOUGH setting.
• SPRINKLE ungreased cookie sheet with cornmeal. At end of dough cycle, remove dough from machine. Place on lightly floured surface. Punch down dough. (If dough is sticky, knead in additional flour before shaping.) Cover dough with clean cloth. Let rest for 15 minutes. Shape dough into baguette-shaped loaf about 12 inches long. Place loaf on cornmeal-coated cookie sheet. Cover. Let rise in warm place (80 degrees to 85 degrees F) for 20 to 25 minutes or until light and doubled in size.
• HEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Make 1 deep lengthwise slash with sharp knife in top of loaf. Brush loaf with egg white. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when lightly tapped.
• CONVENTIONAL OVEN METHOD
• SPOON flour lightly into measuring cup. Level off. Combine flour, sugar, salt and yeast in large bowl. Mix well. Add warm water and oil. Mix well. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead dough 10 minutes or until smooth. Place dough in lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let rise in warm place (80 degrees to 85 degrees F) for 30 to 40 minutes.
• SPRINKLE ungreased cookie sheet with cornmeal. Punch down dough. Cover dough with inverted bowl and allow to rest on counter 15 minutes. Shape dough into baguette-shaped loaf about 12 inches long. Place dough on cornmeal-coated cookie sheet. Cover. Let rise in warm place 35 to 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
• HEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Make 1 deep lengthwise slash with sharp knife in top of loaf. Brush loaf with egg white. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when lightly tapped.
• High Altitude (3500 ft.):
• No change.

Steps:

• For the bread: Heat the milk to between 110 and 115 degrees F. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk.
• Pour the milk mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Add the sugar, butter and salt and stir to dissolve. Add the rye flour and mix on medium until smooth. Slowly beat in the all-purpose flour. When the dough has come together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn to coat the surface. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch down the dough and place on a lightly floured board. Divide it in 2, knead each piece a couple of times and form them into rounds. Put the rounds on an oiled baking sheet, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool.
• For the honey butter: While the bread is baking, put the butter, honey and just a dash of salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk it together. Scrape out into a ramekin and refrigerate. Remove from the refrigerator about a half hour before using.

Steps:

• For the Biga: Combine flour, yeast and water in large bowl of mixer fitted with dough hook. Knead on lowest speed until it forms a shaggy dough, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer biga to a medium bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature until beginning to bubble and rise, about 3 hours. Refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.
• For the Dough: Remove biga from the refrigerator and let set at room temperature while making the dough. Combine the flour, yeast and water in large bowl of mixer fitted with dough hook. Knead on lowest speed until a rough dough is formed, about 3 minutes. Turn mixer off and, without removing bowl or dough hook, cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Remove the plastic wrap; add the biga and salt to the bowl.(Might be easier to add the biga in pieces). Knead on lowest speed until ingredients are incorporated and the dough forms and clears the sides of the bowl, about 4 minutes. Increase mixer speed to the next setting and knead until the dough forms a ball, about 1 minute. Transfer dough to a large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a cool, draft-free spot away from direct sunlight until slightly risen and puffy, about 1 hour.
• Remove plastic wrap and turn the dough by first sliding a curved plastic bench scraper or flexible spatula underneath, then gently lifting and folding one third of dough toward center. Do the same with the opposite side of dough. Then fold the dough in half, perpendicular to the first folds. Dough should be shaped into a rough square if folded correctly. Replace plastic wrap and let dough rise 1 more hour.
• Fold again as described above. Replace plastic wrap and let rise 1 more hour.
• To shape the Dough: Dust work surface liberally with flour. Gently scrape the dough out of the bowl and invert onto the work surface so that the side which was on the top is now on the bottom. If you want two smaller loaves, split the dough into two equal halves. Use a knife or bench scraper. Dust the dough and hands with flour. Using minimal pressure, push the dough into a rough 8 to 10 inch square. Fold the top left corner diagonally to the middle. Repeat with the top right corner. You should now have a peak/point at the top. Gently roll the dough from the top peak/point to the bottom until it forms a rough log. Place the seam on the bottom and transfer to parchment paper. Start tucking the bottom edges underneath, working from the center to the ends, and gently stretch the dough until it is about a 16-inch long football-type shape. Dust top liberally with flour and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• To bake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Place baking stone on rack and preheat oven to 500°F Using a lame or a very sharp knife, cut a slit 1/2-inch deep lengthwise into the center top of the dough, starting and ending 1-1/2 inches from the ends. Using a spray bottle, spray the loaf lightly with water. Slide the parchment paper with the loaf onto a baker's peel or other large, flat surface, then onto the hot baking stone in oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400° and, using the edges of the parchment paper, quickly rotate the loaf 180°. Continue to bake until a deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 210°, about another 35 minutes. For two smaller loaves this will be closer to 30 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and remove the parchment paper. Cool to room temperature before slicing.

Steps:

• Using your hands, mix bread flour, salt, yeast, and 2 cups (450 grams) room-temperature water in a medium bowl. Lightly knead, grabbing corners of dough, gently pulling upward, and pushing toward the center, until dough comes together. Dust another bowl with all-purpose flour and transfer dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 12-18 hours.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, dust with flour, and press into a 8x5" rectangle. Fold rectangle in half lengthwise, then roll up tightly at narrow end (like a burrito). Place both hands on top of dough; working against friction of work surface, pull gently down toward yourself to create a rounded boule shape.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and cover loosely with a clean flour-dusted towel. Let rise at room temperature 4 hours, or chill 6-12 hours.
• One hour before baking, arrange rack in middle of oven; preheat to 500°F. After dough has risen, slash dough with a razor blade or very sharp knife in 3 parallel slits at least 1/4" deep. Transfer baking sheet to oven, reduce oven temperature to 450°F, and bake bread until crust is very brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 190-200°F, 30-40 minutes. Let cool before slicing, about 2 hours.

Steps:

• Add flour, oil, salt, sugar, yeast and water to your bread machine according to its instructions.
• Set on dough setting.
• Always follow your machines instructions, when mixing open it and keep check on the dough. Dough should be in a nice round soft sticky to the touch ball. If it is not add more water, or add flour which ever is needed.
• Remove when signal beeps and cycle is done.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Sprinkle cornflour or cornmeal onto a baking sheet.
• Punch dough down and form into a long or oval loaf.
• Cover and let rise for 25 more minutes.
• It should be doubled again by this time.
• Uncover and slash the top with a sharp knife or razor.
• Brush all over with the beaten egg white.
• Bake 25 minutes to 35 minutes, until hollow sounding when tapped on bottom.
• Cool.