by Marc Bennett
08/03/2013
Ingredients: -
• 1 tablespoon runny honey
• 1 x 7g sachet dried yeast
• 325ml tepid water
• 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
Method: -
• Add the honey and yeast to the tepid water and leave for a couple of minutes until it starts bubbling
• Pile the flour and 2 teaspoons sea salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre
• Pour half of your yeast mixture into the well, and use a fork to gradually bring the flour in from the outside
• Once you get a stodgy, porridgey consistency, add the rest of the mixture and gradually incorporate all the flour to make a smooth dough
• Dust a clean work surface and your hands with flour, then knead the dough, pushing, folding and pulling it with your hands, for about 5 minutes until it’s silky and elastic
• If any of the dough sticks to your hands, just rub them together with a little extra flour
• Lightly flour the top of the dough, make it into a roundish shape and place on a baking tray
• Deeply score the dough with a knife – allowing it to relax and prove with ease
• Leave it to prove in a warm, moist, draught-free place for about 40 minutes until it’s doubled in size
• At this point you need to knock the air out of it by bashing it around for another minute
• Shape the dough into the loaf shape you want, sprinkle generously with flour then leave to prove once more, until it doubles in size again
• Preheat the oven to 225ºC/425ºF/gas 7
• After all your hard work, don’t spoil your efforts – you want to keep all the air inside the loaf, so don’t knock it
• Gently place the tray in the preheated oven, and don’t slam the door
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden
• You can tell if your bread is cooked by tapping its bottom – if it sounds hollow it’s cooked, if it doesn’t then pop it back in for a little longer
• Transfer it to a wire rack to cool before tucking in
• Pile the flour and 2 teaspoons sea salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre
• Pour half of your yeast mixture into the well, and use a fork to gradually bring the flour in from the outside
• Once you get a stodgy, porridgey consistency, add the rest of the mixture and gradually incorporate all the flour to make a smooth dough
• Dust a clean work surface and your hands with flour, then knead the dough, pushing, folding and pulling it with your hands, for about 5 minutes until it’s silky and elastic
• If any of the dough sticks to your hands, just rub them together with a little extra flour
• Lightly flour the top of the dough, make it into a roundish shape and place on a baking tray
• Deeply score the dough with a knife – allowing it to relax and prove with ease
• Leave it to prove in a warm, moist, draught-free place for about 40 minutes until it’s doubled in size
• At this point you need to knock the air out of it by bashing it around for another minute
• Shape the dough into the loaf shape you want, sprinkle generously with flour then leave to prove once more, until it doubles in size again
• Preheat the oven to 225ºC/425ºF/gas 7
• After all your hard work, don’t spoil your efforts – you want to keep all the air inside the loaf, so don’t knock it
• Gently place the tray in the preheated oven, and don’t slam the door
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden
• You can tell if your bread is cooked by tapping its bottom – if it sounds hollow it’s cooked, if it doesn’t then pop it back in for a little longer
• Transfer it to a wire rack to cool before tucking in
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