Our rustic bread

Scalding of Flour (optional)

Scalding is optional but it does give firmer bread overall so its highly recommended.

Out of total ingredient amount take 150 mL of water and 100 g of bread flour. Boil the water and once at boiling temperature pour it over flour. Mix it, and leave covered in bowl overnight.

Procedure

Mix warm water, dry yeast, and sugar. You can do that in a mixer bowl (if you are using the stand mixer). Leave to proof until it starts bubling (for about 5-10 minutes).

Add flour and salt. Start mixing to combine at slow speed (1/10). Mix until combined (for about 5 minutes). Leave about 20-30 minutes to raise.

Once rested, start mixer again at the same speed (1/10) for about 20 minutes.

Once done, transfer dough to other bowl and work it into a round ball. Sprinkle a bit of flour on the top, cover with a plastic wrap, and let it rise until it doubles in size (about 1½-2 hours).

Fold dough by pinching and stretching it unto itself into the final round ball.

Place parchment paper into the dutch owen. Sprinkle a bit of flour on top of paper. Transfer bread dough genlty into the dutch oven and sprinkle more flour onto the top. Use scissors to make small cuts on the top of the bread. Cover with kitchen cloth and leave it to double in size again (about 1½-2 hours).

Preheat the oven to 260 °C (500 °F).

Place lid onto the dutch oven, place it into preheated oven and immediately reduce temperature to 250 °C (485 °F). Bake bread covered for 20 minutes.

Remove the lid and bake for another 20 minutes.

Once done, remove it from dutch oven and leave to cool on a cooling rack.

Ingredients

500 ml	Warm Water
7 g	Active dry yeast	1 pk
4 g	Sugar	1 tsp
700 g	Bread flour
10 g	Salt	2 tsp