Rustic white loaf
- Published: 31 Dec 13
- Updated: 18 Mar 24
This delicious rustic loaf, from a Long Crichel Bakery recipe, can be made with either white or brown flour.
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1 large loaf (about 16 slices) -
Hands-on time 25 min, proving time 1 hour 45 min, oven time 35-40 min.
Nutrition
- Calories
- 107kcals
- Fat
- 0.4g (0.1g saturated)
- Protein
- 3.1g
- Carbohydrates
- 23.1g (1.3g sugars)
- Fibre
- 1.3g
- Salt
- 0.3g
delicious. tips
This dough doesn’t require fierce kneading – treat it gently. If you like your bread quite salty you can add a little more – but salt slows down the action of the yeast so the more you use, the longer you’ll need to leave the dough to rise. Keep an eye on your loaf as it proves. It should rise no more than double its size.
To make sure the loaf is cooked, pick it up (use a tea towel), turn it over and rap on the base. It should sound deep and resonant, as if it were hollow. You can also check the temperature inside the loaf with a digital thermometer – anywhere between 85°C and 100°C is good. It’s hard to resist, but don’t crack into the bread before it has cooled a while – you’ll spoil the texture.Freeze the cooked, cooled loaf, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Defrost before serving, or slice before freezing.
Fresh yeast comes in a rubbery, creamy coloured, crumbly block. You can sometimes get it from health food shops and in-store bakeries in large supermarkets- you need to ask. It will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You can use easy blend or fast-action yeast instead, but use about half as much- a 7g sachet would be enough for this recipe.