Join us as we bake bread for our Maundy Thursday gathering, a time of communion and foot washing.
Ingredients:
Flour 1000g / 7 3/4cups
Water 720g / 3 1/8 cups, 90-95 degrees
Salt 21 g / 1 tbsp + 1 scant tsp
Instant dried yeast 4 g / 1 tsp
Materials:
large bowl or container with lid
kitchen scale (preferred) or measuring cups
plastic wrap
kitchen thermometer (preferred)
Dutch oven (preferred) or baking sheet
Knife
Makes 2 loaves. This is an all day bread. Overnight directions below.
Directions:
Measure flour and water. Make sure water is not too hot or it will kill the yeast. Mix flour and water by hand. Hold the rim of the bowl with one hand and mix with the other. Dough will be sticky and loose. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle salt and yeast over the top of the dough. Mix the dough by scooping from underneath, stretching the dough, and folding it on top. Continue around the dough in a circle until all of the salt/yeast is covered. Using a pincer grasp, section out the dough in several segments. Fold again by scooping and stretching. Do this until all the salt and yeast are incorporated. About 5 minutes. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
Perform the first fold. Similar to the mixing stage, reach underneath and stretch the dough until you feel tension all the way around. Do this 4 or 5 times until a tight ball is formed. Flip the ball over so it rests on the seam. Let rest 30-45 minutes.
When the dough has spread and filled the container, perform the second fold until a tight ball forms. Flip and let rise until tripled in size, about 4 hours.
Flip the dough out on a floured surface. Flour a line down the center of the dough and cut in half.
Taking one half form a ball. On a surface free of flour, put the ball about 12 inches in front of you and pull the ball towards yourself, letting the friction tighten the dough. Rotate 90 degrees and pull back again. Repeat until the ball is tight and with the next half. Place each ball in a separate floured bowl for the final proof, about 1 hour - 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. If using a dutch oven, continue to steps 8-11. If using a baking sheet, skip to step 12.
Dutch oven: 45 minutes prior to needing to bake the bread, preheat the dutch oven to 475 degrees with the lid on. If you only have one dutch oven, place the second dough in the refrigerator 20 minutes before baking the first loaf in order to stop the proofing.
After the dutch oven is hot, carefully place your first loaf in, seam side up. If the seams have come together, slash an X into the top. Cover and bake for 30 minutes
Remove the lid and bake for 15 more minutes. Carefully remove and cool on a wire rack.
Re-heat your dutch oven for 5 minutes and continue with the second loaf.
If you do not have a dutch oven, a regular baking sheet will work just fine but the crust will not develop as much. 20 minutes prior to baking the first loaf, place the second loaf in the refrigerator to stop the proofing.
Flip the dough seam side up, if the seams have come together, use a knife to slash with an X. Bake for 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with second loaf.
OVERNIGHT:
If you do not have all day, this bread can easily be accommodated to start in the evening and bake in the morning.
Ingredients:
Flour 1000g or 7 3/4 cups
Water 780 g or 3 1/3 cups
Salt 22 g or 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
Instant dried yeast 0.8g or Scant 1/4 tsp
Option 1:
Perform Steps 1-4, but add a third fold before covering and resting overnight.
In the morning, pick up on step 5 and continue until bread is baked.
Option 2:
Alternatively, you can divide and shape the dough in the morning, place into bowl, cover with plastic wrap or place inside a ziplock bag and place in the refrigerator all day while at work. Remove the dough in the evening while the dutch oven preheats, then bake.