Untitled Recipe

Let's Cook

1. Step 1.

   Rub 3g fresh yeast into 500g white bread flour in a large bowl until evenly distributed. Add most of the 320g water and mix with your hands or a dough scraper until a shaggy dough forms. Knead in the bowl for 2–3 minutes until no dry patches remain, adding the remaining water if the dough feels stiff or dry. The dough should be quite wet and sticky at this stage.

2. Step 2.

   Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. This autolyse step relaxes the gluten.

3. Step 3.

   Sprinkle 8g fine salt over the rested dough. Knead for 1–2 minutes until the salt is fully incorporated and the dough feels smooth and elastic.

4. Step 4.

   Break 200g old dough into small walnut-sized pieces and scatter them over the fresh dough. Knead vigorously for 8–15 minutes, until the old dough is completely incorporated and the dough is smooth, supple, and slightly tacky. The dough should pass the windowpane test (stretch a small piece thin enough to see light through without tearing).

5. Step 5.

   Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight (8–12 hours). The next day, remove the dough from the fridge about 2 hours before baking to let it come to room temperature. If you plan to bake again within a few days, cut off 200g of this dough and store it in a sealed container in the fridge to use as old dough next time.

6. Step 6.

   Shape the dough into your desired loaf (e.g., round boule or oval batard) on a lightly floured surface. Place it seam-side down on a floured proofing basket or on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a cloth and let rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, until nearly doubled in size and the dough springs back slowly when poked.

7. Step 7.

   While the dough rises, place a baking stone or inverted baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 200°C (180°C fan)/400°F/gas 6 for at least 30 minutes. Just before baking, dust a peel or the back of a baking sheet with flour or semolina. Carefully transfer the risen dough onto the peel. Slash the top with a sharp knife or lame if desired.

8. Step 8.

   Slide the dough onto the hot baking stone or sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. For a crisper crust, you can spray water into the oven or add a pan of hot water on the bottom rack during the first 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing.