Rustic Loaf

Name: How to cook Rustic Loaf - cookcic.com
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Us

Introduce

Chef :

Joanne

Rustic Loaf

This is an easy to bake loaf from Dan Lepard, which he calls White Farmhouse tin loaf. I mixed in a little granary flour to give it a malty taste and some texture, and cooked it freeform rather than in a tin for an English country look.

Ingredient

225 ml

warm water

1 tsp

fast action yeast

175 g

strong white bread flour

1 tsp

sugar

100 g

strong white flour

75 g

granary flour (or wholemeal, or spelt)

1 tsp

salt

25 g

butter, plus extra for greasing

Cooking instructions

* Step 1

Make the sponge by mixing the warm water with the sugar, then adding to the 175 g white flour. Stir to mix, then cover and leave to stand for 2 hours, after which the surface should be covered with bubbles.

* Step 2

In another bowl mix the two flours and the salt. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until you have an even breadcrumb texture.

* Step 3

Add the flour and butter mixture to the bubbly sponge and mix in. Cover and leave for 10 minutes.

* Step 4

Transfer the dough to an oiled work surface and stretch or push it into a rectangle then pull the top half to stretch it, fold it back on itself, fold the bottom half over, give it a quarter turn and repeat four more times. You could also just lightly knead it for a few minutes. Place it back in the bowl, oil it first, cover and leave it for 15 minutes.

* Step 5

Repeat the kneading, stretching, folding routine then cover and leave for 30 minutes. By this time the dough should be pliable and spongy. Knead and fold over again then leave for another 30 minutes.

* Step 6

Stretch, fold a few times again, then mould into shape and place in a proving basket if you have one, or in a buttered tin, or on an oiled baking tray. Leave to rise for 1 hour, or until increased in size by half.

* Step 7

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Tip the risen dough onto the oiled tray, slash the top with a serrated knife, flick some flour over the top and quickly place in the oven. After 10 minutes reduce the heat to 180°C/Gas 4 and bake for another 20-25 minutes. My loaf needed another 10 minutes after this.

* Step 8

It's baked when it's golden all over and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom. Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing, slathering with butter and jam and eating with a post dog walk cup of tea!