The 101 on Baking Bread, Revised

Hi Fellow Bakers! I write today to share my most updated basic bread recipe with you. Since I have been teaching people how to bake bread in the last month, I am filled with joy, first and foremost, but I am also realizing that your average breadbook can be a bit intimidating for a new baker. So — I hope this helps you to just dive on in! It truly is not as challenging as it seems. As my students say, you just have to get your feet wet. Then you are that much closer to having freshly baked, nutritious bread for you and your family. And this is bringing me one step closer to my ultimate goal: blocks upon block of households oozing with that fresh baked bread smell. That just makes life a little bit sweeter, doesn’t it?

BREAD CULTURE The 101 on Baking Bread

I have tried my darndest to make it as easy as possible. And trust me from many loaves of experience, it is far easier to just dig in and get elbow deep in dough, than to get intimidated by the measurements, percentages, and what not. I mean — do we not find the most JOY when we are in the moment, experiencing things first hand? HAVE FUN! And I am here for you, should you have questions.

There are only four ingredients: FLOUR, WATER, YEAST, and SALT. That’s a beautiful thing. Here’s the abbreviated recipe for two loaves of bread. If you want one, just cut it in half — but really, who wants one loaf when you can give another to a friend, and then they will be inspired to try to bake their own bread and it will change the world!

INGREDIENT                         QUANTITY                    BAKER’S PERCENTAGE

water                                         800 grams                      80% (hydration)

whole grain flour                    1000 grams                     100%

wild yeast                                 200 grams                       20%

salt                                             25-30 grams                   2.5-3%

1. Grab your metal bowl or plastic (BPA-free) Cambro container (Smart & Final, $15), and your digital scale (Amazon, $30). Measure 800 grams of water into the container. Reset scale back to 0 grams and add 1,000 grams of whole grain, organic flour. MIX with your hands until you cannot see any more dry flour. If your grains are extra thirsty, give them a little more water. You will get used to how much water your flour needs after a few test rounds. Cover your container with a cloth or place a lid on top (not airtight). Let the flour and water mingle. This is called the AUTOLYSE. This is when all the enzymes get to know eachother before the yeast and salt are added. Do not skip this step. Real bread takes time. You will have better bread by giving the dough 20-30 mins to hang out.

2. After your 20-30 mins is up, place the container back on the scale and add 200 grams of wild yeast (refer to my website post Wild, Wild Yeast to learn how to make your own yeast/starter/leaven) and 25-30 grams of salt (that’s up to you). Get in there with your paws and mix all together rigorously for up to 5 minutes. This is the only time you will knead the dough. After the 5 minutes is over, massage your tired arms, and place the lid or cloth back on the container. Now, the initial proofing time occurs.

3. Leave the container on the counter for up to 4 hours (if it is over 90 degrees in your house, make it more like 3 hours). If you are home and able to “do folds,” gently lift the sides of the dough up and onto itself on all sides every 30 minutes or so. If you need to run errands, don’t worry about the folds. Just do one before you put it in the fridge for the bulk fermentation.

4. Bulk fermentation: after the proofing stage is over, you can either shape the dough now and place it in your brown-rice lined banneton and into the fridge for up to 24 hours, or you can leave it in the container and shape it when it’s cold hours later. I usually do the later, but every baker has their preference. So — leave it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. This is where the real magic happens. The dough is allowed to slow down it’s natural enzymatic activity, and this is where the nutritional boost occurs. As I always say, “real bread takes time.” This fermentation allows the bread to become pro-biotic in a sense, since the lactobacillus bacteria in the yeast is interacting with the enzymes and minerals in the flour. Good stuff!

5. After up to 24 hours (but not less than 13 hours), take the dough out of the fridge and let it rise (either in the container or banneton) for up for 2 hours, or until it comes close to room temp. At the same time, PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 485 DEGREES with the Combo Cooker or Dutch Oven inside (Amazon, $40-$60). Every oven is different, so you will have to determine the “sweet spot.”

6. Shaping: You can shape it when it is cold, that can be easier for many of us beginners. Use your dough spatula and bench knife (Amazon, $5 and $8) to cut the dough in half to create to circles with your hands. You can use a little rice flour or non-gmo cornmeal on your hands and sprinkle on the countertop to prevent stickiness. Once you have shaped the two boules into two circles, you are ready to bake!

7. Take the pre-heated Combo Cookers out of the oven (don’t forget your mitts! Those puppies are hot!), sprinkle them with rice flour or cornmeal (prevents dough sticking more than regular flour), place boules into the combo cookers.

8. Score your loaves! Using a bread scorer (Amazon, $8), razor, or sharp knife, slice the top of the dough at a 45 degree angle several times. This allows the dough to breathe, to get the most oven spring,and prevents dough blowout. Sprinkle the dough with brown rice or cornmeal.

9. Place combo cookers in the oven and set timer for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes is up, take the lids off the combo cookers, lower the temp to 460 degrees, and place timer for 22 minutes. After the 22 minutes are up, check to see if the crust is browned enough, and if not, give it a few more minutes. Then put those oven mitts on, take those beautiful loaves of bread out of the oven, wait at least an hour to break into those beauties! I know, I know, that is so annoying. But it is important to remember — the bread is still cooking once it comes out of the oven, so it needs time to cool down. Trust me, I know from experience, that eating hot bread is delicious, but can give you a not-so-fun belly ache. It is worth waiting for! Some professional bakers say it is best to eat leavened bread the next day for the most flavor!

To store your bread: leave it on the counter, wrapped in a cloth or placed in a paper bag. It has a shelf-life of about 3 days, so if you won’t eat it that fast, you can slice it first and then freeze it. Then, take it out, let it thaw for a bit, lightly toast, and ENJOY! There you have it, friends!! I wish you all the success and luck in baking your own bread at home. We deserve to know where our food comes from, to eat the healthiest grains possible, and to have more energy because of it. And the other best part is that you get to share it with your loved ones and community. Isn’t that what life is all about?! If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to email me: cultureyourbread@gmail.com.

Love and Real Bread,

Mary