Simple French Loaf
A simple single loaf of bread. Flour to bread in about 2.5 hours.
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Bloom your yeast. Mix these ingredients together and let them sit 5 minutes. If you don't have bubbles at that time, your yeast is dead and you should start over/get new yeast.
- 254g Water (110-115 degrees F)
- 4g Sugar
- 4g Instant Yeast
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Mix flour, salt, and bloomed yeast liquid together until all liquid is incorporated.
- 350g Bread Flour
- 8g Salt
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Start kneading bread. Knead for 10 minutes. If it feels tacky, add flour 1 spoonful at a time, adding no more than 78g of additional flour. Stop kneading when the bread dough feels smooth and supple. Place dough in a lightly-oiled bowl.
- 78g Bread Flour
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Cover and let rise in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size.
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a small ovenproof pan on the bottom rack, and with an empty rack about halfway up the oven.
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Press out dough to a 9x13 rectangle. Fold one of the 13" sides in to the middle of the loaf. Fold the other 13" side together. Pinch all ends firmly shut. Place the loaf on a sheet pan lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Slash the loaf with a sharp knife or lame 3 times. Loosely cover with greased wrap until puffy and nearly doubled in size.
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Boil about a cup of water (doesn't have to be precise).
- 1cup Water
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Place the sheet pan with the loaf on the empty rack in the oven. Immediately pour the boiling water into the small ovenproof pan on the bottom rack. Close the door quickly. Bake 18-23 minutes, until the internal temperature of the bread measures 195F using a probe thermometer.
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Let cool on a rack. Slice and eat.