Cold-fermented bread loaf.🤎

Slow fermented • Soft & fluffy

There is something incredibly comforting about baking your own loaf of bread. With just a handful of simple ingredients & a little patience, you'll be rewarded with a beautifully soft loaf with a lightly golden crust & the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread filling your home.

Cold fermentation allows the dough to slowly develop flavour overnight & makes the gluten easier to digest on the gut.

Ingredients

• 500g quality bread flour (without added folic acid if possible)

• ½ teaspoon dried yeast

• 1–2 teaspoons brown unrefined sugar or local honey

• 3 tablespoons olive oil or local farm butter

• 280ml spring water

• 1 teaspoon pink himalayan salt

Makes: 1 small to medium loaf

Method

1. Prepare the dough

Place all of the ingredients into a stainless steel mixing bowl.

Using dough hooks, mix & knead for at least 10 min, until a smooth, elastic dough forms & pulls together into a tight ball.

Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface- kneading by hand for another minute.

Return the dough to the mixing bowl.

2. Cold ferment

Cover the bowl & place it in the refrigerator to cold ferment for 8–12 hours, or overnight.

This slow fermentation develops flavour, helps the gut to digest the gluten better & gives the dough time to mature naturally.

3. Knock back & shape

Remove the dough from fridge.

While still in the bowl, gently punch down the dough to release the trapped air.

Transfer it onto a lightly floured surface & knead briefly until smooth.

Place the dough into a lightly floured small to medium loaf tin, gently pressing it into shape.

Lightly brush the top with extra virgin olive oil to prevent it from drying out.

4. Proof

Leave the dough to rise at room temperature for a few hours, or until it has risen to your desired size & springs back gently when touched.

5. Bake

Preheat your oven to 200–210°C for 5–10 minutes.

Bake the loaf on the middle shelf for approximately 15–20 minutes, or until:

• The top is beautifully golden brown.

• The loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath.

6. Cool

Remove the bread from the loaf tin immediately & transfer to a wire cooling rack.

Allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing to achieve the best texture.