← Nouns Cooking · French

Ingredients

• 450 g strong white bread flour
• 50 g wholemeal or rye flour
• 370 ml lukewarm water
• 100 g active sourdough starter (or 1/4 tsp instant yeast)
• 10 g Salt

Method

1. Mix the flours and 340 ml of the water until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 30 min.
2. Add the starter, salt and remaining water and squeeze through the dough with your hand until fully combined and smooth.
3. Cover and leave at room temperature for 4 hours, giving the dough a set of stretches and folds every 30 min for the first 2 hours, until it is puffy and about 50% bigger.
4. Tip onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a tight round and place seam side up in a floured basket or a bowl lined with a floured cloth. Cover and refrigerate for 8–12 hours.
5. Put a lidded cast-iron pot in the oven and heat to 250°C (230°C fan, 480°F) for 45 min. Turn the loaf out onto baking paper, slash the top and lower it into the hot pot.
6. Cover and bake for 20 min, then lower to 230°C (210°C fan, 450°F), remove the lid and bake for 20–25 min more, until deep brown and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.
7. Cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Tips

• If using yeast instead of starter, the first rise takes about 2 hours and the bread will be less tangy.
• Contains gluten.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

King Arthur Baking BBC Good Food