
Bread Dough
Baking bread seems to many a very challenging endeavour. When a true bread lover considers all of the perfect components that must work together to create a truly delicious bread, they think there is no way they themselves could cook this. But, when you are open to the possibility, you find that baking a delicious bread may be more achievable than you thought.
Our recipe today is for a bread variety with a crispy light edge and a soft interior. This timeless recipe can be used to pair with any dish to add flavor and texture and the simple delight that a good bread brings. Once you are able to master this simple recipe you can begin to make variations on it according to your preference.
What You’ll Need
- 1 ¼ cups Manitoba Flour
- 3 cups 00 Flour
- 1.5 cups room temperature water
- ¼ ounce yeast
- 1 teaspoon of malt
- Up to ¼ ounce of salt
What To Do
- Dissolve your yeast in your room temperature water by mixing it slowly in with the water
- In a separate bowl combine both your Manitoba and your 00 flour
- Add your teaspoon of malt to the same bowl
- Combine all flours thoroughly
- Mix your flours together and slowly pour in your water, little by little
- Add about half of your water and continue kneading until fully absorbed
- Add your salt to your dough and then continue to knead again
- Now add the second half of your water to the forming dough, again very slowly
- Once all of the water has been added, continue kneading with both hands for about 10 minutes
- Let your dough rest, uncovered for about 10 minutes
- Transfer your dough to a lightly floured surface
- Begin expanding it and then folding it onto itself
- Once folded in turn it over and do the same once more
- Once you have a smooth round ball of dough, place it in a floured bowl and cover with plastic wrap
- Let it rise at room temperature for about two hours
- Return your dough to a lightly floured surface once again and repeat the same folding pattern
- Complete the folding by creating a smooth ball of dough
- Transfer your dough to a floured baking pan
- Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise for one more hour
- Once the dough has risen preheat your oven to 475 degrees
- Before placing in the oven you may opt to cut a decorative cut into the top
- Reduce the heat to 450 degrees
- Place a large bowl of water at the bottom of the oven to promote humidity
- Bake the bread for about twenty minutes before lowering the temperature to 350
- Remove the bowl of water and continue cooking another 35 minutes
- Once it is baked allow to rest for several minutes before digging in!
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