Rustic Bread is one of the 3 recipes that we MellowBakers are baking this month of April, 2010. The other 2 are Bagels, and Light Rye Bread.
Jeffrey Hamelman's Rustic Bread recipe is a fairly easy bread to make although it takes 2 days. The first day is for the preferment which is making a stiff dough with flour, water, salt, and a small amount of commercial yeast, leaving it on the kitchen counter for 12 to 16 hours. The next day is pretty much the same, mix bread flour, a little whole rye and whole wheat flour with water, salt, yeast, and the preferment. Bulk fermentation is 2½ hours with two folds after every 50 minutes, then the dough is divided and shaped into rounds [I shaped mine into fat batards] and made to rise for 1½ hours then off they go in a 450°F steamy oven . Easy peasy.
The bread is soft, chewy, and flavorful and I like it even more the next day, but not after that. Well, they didn't last beyond 3 days so no problem there. This could be a regular bread in my house. It's good for sandwiches or dipping into soups or stews.
11 comments:
Beautiful bread Oggy! Glad it turned out so nicely. Although it's not sourdough, I found the flavours a little more obvious the next morning, maybe 16 hours after coming out of the oven.
And definitely I agree it was really a simple to make bread and one that cn be made any weekend, as long as you have 10 minutes the evening before to mix up the pre-ferment. Easy.
I am looking forward to toasting this one in the morning. Yours looks delicious.
Sounds delicious! I can't wait to make this one . . . with soup!
Paul, that's what I do, make the preferment at about 5PM and it's ready by 8 or 9AM.
Anne Marie, would you believe I liked it better untoasted.:)
Abby, it's really good with soup.:)
Wonderful loaf, I really love this bread.
Looks lovely, I like the way one bread is balanced on the other in your photo. See you soon, Joanna @ Zeb Bakes
Natalie and Joana, thanks.:)
I don't know where you live, but if you live in a humid region, you shouldn't spray water in the oven, before you bake it. That's my experience.
Hi Zorra, I don't spray water in the oven. I have a preheated cast iron pan on the floor of the oven and pour hot water in it a few seconds before I slide the breads on the stone.
I'm curious...what happened to your oven?:)
@oggi, I don't spray or pour any water in the oven at all. I live in Southern Spain and the humidity is always high, so my loaves doesn't need any more humidity. ;-)
Zorra, whew! That's good to know. I've read people busting their bulbs and oven doors after "throwing" water or ice in their very hot oven.:)
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