75% Hydration Rustic Crusty Bread-Basic Recipe
Made this recipe for the first time 12/22/15. Came out FANTASTIC! Sooooo easy. This was the easiest bread I've ever baked. I used a stainless steel Dutch Oven because I don't own a cast iron one and it worked out perfectly. This recipe is kind of like one big Italian biga bread recipe.
Original recipe was a 100% hydration dough. It's difficult to handle but I've made it quite a few times. I could never get the oven spring I wanted or a scored ear. For latest attempt, I cut the hydration to a 75%. MUCH easier to work. Result? AWESOME! Less open crumb but great oven-spring and ear! Biga-like preferment taste.
Ingredients
3 cups (360g) KA bread flour
1 ½ tsp (7g) fine sea salt
1/2 tsp (1.5-2g) active dry yeast
1 1/8 cups (270g) warm water (75°-110°F degrees)
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast. Pour in warm water and stir mixture with a wooden spoon or a firm silicone spatula until a shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise and ferment for 12 - 18 hours on the counter at room temperature. Should appear with small bubbles and a slightly rounded top. If the center starts to collapse, it will still work but needs to progress to the next step.
Generously dust the working surface and one banneton proofing basket (or bowl with a tea towel) with flour. Use a bowl scraper and turn the dough out onto the working surface. Form into a ball and develop surface tension by turning and pulling. Place the dough ball bottom side up in the banneton. Pinch any open seams closed. Lightly dust with flour and cover loosely. Allow to rise a second time. If dough appears wet, dust with flour. To test the proof when it appears about double in size, poke to the first knuckle on forefinger. It should slowly spring back but leave a small dimple (3-4-5 hours depending on room temp. Most recent took 4 hours, from 0930-1330, with the kitchen at 70°F).
Prep a piece of parchment paper on the work surface. When the paper is pressed to the botton and sides of the Dutch oven to be used for baking, the ends should extend just above the top of the Dutch oven rim. Remove the paper and place on the working surface.
As the second rise nears completion, place the Dutch oven with lid in the baking oven on a mid-low shelf. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat for a total of 30 minutes or more. Not essential with a stainless steel DO; more so with cast iron.
When ready to bake, turn the dough out onto the paper. Use a pastry brush to brush away any excess flour. Score the dough from one end to the other in a curve offset from the center.
Use Silicone gloves or mitts to remove the pot from oven. Remove the lid and quickly add the paper with the scored dough. Cover with lid then immediately return pot to oven and bake 30 minutes at 450 degrees. After 30 minutes, remove lid from the pot and bake uncovered for 15‐20-25-30 minutes to desired color. (10 min was not enough. Great flavor, but crust softened as it cooled).
Remove from oven and allow bread to cool on a cooling rack. Once completely cooled, bread stores well in an open paper bag (it helps the bread maintain it's crisp crust. I wouldn't recommend storing it in an airtight container or ziploc bag).
Recipe Source: adapted from Simply So Good.
Made this recipe for the first time 12/22/15. Came out FANTASTIC! Sooooo easy. This was the easiest bread I've ever baked. I used a stainless steel Dutch Oven because I don't own a cast iron one and it worked out perfectly. This recipe is kind of like one big Italian biga bread recipe.
Original recipe was a 100% hydration dough. It's difficult to handle but I've made it quite a few times. I could never get the oven spring I wanted or a scored ear. For latest attempt, I cut the hydration to a 75%. MUCH easier to work. Result? AWESOME! Less open crumb but great oven-spring and ear! Biga-like preferment taste.
Ingredients
3 cups (360g) KA bread flour
1 ½ tsp (7g) fine sea salt
1/2 tsp (1.5-2g) active dry yeast
1 1/8 cups (270g) warm water (75°-110°F degrees)
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast. Pour in warm water and stir mixture with a wooden spoon or a firm silicone spatula until a shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise and ferment for 12 - 18 hours on the counter at room temperature. Should appear with small bubbles and a slightly rounded top. If the center starts to collapse, it will still work but needs to progress to the next step.
Generously dust the working surface and one banneton proofing basket (or bowl with a tea towel) with flour. Use a bowl scraper and turn the dough out onto the working surface. Form into a ball and develop surface tension by turning and pulling. Place the dough ball bottom side up in the banneton. Pinch any open seams closed. Lightly dust with flour and cover loosely. Allow to rise a second time. If dough appears wet, dust with flour. To test the proof when it appears about double in size, poke to the first knuckle on forefinger. It should slowly spring back but leave a small dimple (3-4-5 hours depending on room temp. Most recent took 4 hours, from 0930-1330, with the kitchen at 70°F).
Prep a piece of parchment paper on the work surface. When the paper is pressed to the botton and sides of the Dutch oven to be used for baking, the ends should extend just above the top of the Dutch oven rim. Remove the paper and place on the working surface.
As the second rise nears completion, place the Dutch oven with lid in the baking oven on a mid-low shelf. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat for a total of 30 minutes or more. Not essential with a stainless steel DO; more so with cast iron.
When ready to bake, turn the dough out onto the paper. Use a pastry brush to brush away any excess flour. Score the dough from one end to the other in a curve offset from the center.
Use Silicone gloves or mitts to remove the pot from oven. Remove the lid and quickly add the paper with the scored dough. Cover with lid then immediately return pot to oven and bake 30 minutes at 450 degrees. After 30 minutes, remove lid from the pot and bake uncovered for 15‐20-25-30 minutes to desired color. (10 min was not enough. Great flavor, but crust softened as it cooled).
Remove from oven and allow bread to cool on a cooling rack. Once completely cooled, bread stores well in an open paper bag (it helps the bread maintain it's crisp crust. I wouldn't recommend storing it in an airtight container or ziploc bag).
Recipe Source: adapted from Simply So Good.
