Easy holey, crusty, chewy and moist steamed bread

My bread  is easy, equally a labour of love and excitement. Each time it is different due to the temperature, the flour and the humidity. It is an addictive, if harmless, passion.  So here goes:

Steamed and crusty bread  with country holes – to be started at night and finished the next day (but hardly any work – vacuum the house or have a party)!

I got this simple, incredibly delicious way of making bread from James Beard, that American great, and also modified by Nagi of Australia, amongst many others.   I appreciate them all, but after 6 months I came up with my own version.  This is in my opinion the best way to make it full stop.  NO substitutes!  I like a precise recipe.  Not, if you do not have this, then use this. It might seem like a lot to read, but trust me, anything simple needs to be carefully explained.  And a lot of us do not have a clue about bread-making so I hope you will appreciate my attention to detail, lol.

So here goes:

First of all the most important thing is the Dutch oven/kettle, its size and shape. 

There are loads on Amazon and the best is narrow and higher than the usual. The capacity should be between 2.5 litres and 3.5 litres. No less or no more. If I had the choice I would chose 3 litres BUT with the right height. The reason for this is the rising of the bread.  I settled on this one especially for bread from Amazon, happy  even if it did not entirely tick all the boxes. It also comes with a slim cookbook in German.  Haven’t read it yet. Lol.

dutch kettle for my recipe

Also use a measuring jug or pint glass, not a weighing scale. Make sure your bowl is sized to let the dough rise, not too big or small. Slightly straighter sides are better so it can climb. 

Ingredients:

75 grams authentic wholewheat flour

475 strong bread flour –  called fuerza 300 in Spain

1/2 slightly heaped  tbsp coarse sea salt  for the flour 

I tbsp of dried herbs de Provence with extra oregano mixed in

In the water:

250 grams hand very warm water – just use the same measure line as the flour – important!

15 grams FRESH yeast – it can be used from frozen no problem. 

3/4 tsp sugar (to help the yeast do its job)

1 tsp best virgin olive oil – to give flavour and also help the yeast – but not too much!

To finish before baking – 1 tbsp best virgin olive oil and a sprinkling (do not overdo it) of coarse sea salt.

So this sounds like a pain, but it is totally easy and even if you make a mistake it will still be excellent.  Just if you do as I say it will be OUTSTANDING!  Yes mam…

So let’s go:

1. Boil a kettle of water. Meanwhile hand mix the flours, salt and herbs in your perfectly chosen bowl.
2. As soon as the kettle is hot or boiled, turn off.  Pour some into a robust smaller bowl to warm it. Rinse the flour measurer and add about 175 grams of cold water to it. Top with the hot water to 250. Feel with your fingers. If uncomfortably hot, pour a bit out and add more cold water or vice versa until it is hot, but not too hot that it hurts your skin! Too hot will kill the yeast. 
3. Empty the hot water from the robust bowl. It will now be hot warm. Add the sugar, oil and water, feel again. Too hot, add a bit of cold. Too cold, add a bit of hot. When this is just right, add the live yeast and use your fingers to push it around the bottom of the bowl until it is totally disolved. Put a timer on for exactly 15 minutes to “prove” the yeast. When you return it should be slightly foamy across the top. 

4. Put all this stuff into the flour.  Use a narrowish wooden spoon to mix it so there is no dry flour showing. Lift at the same time loads to incorporate air into the mixture. Also scrape any dry flour from the bowl bottom.  It should look lumpy and rough and uneven.  It should not be like cake mixture, nor as dry as dough for kneading. Feel free to add more strong bread flour or even liquid to get this right. 

5. Cover this with a raised lid (wok lid is the best but whatever you have) and put it in a warmish place away from direct sun to rise. In winter cover with a shawl or something as well.

6. Check after an hour. The aim is for it to rise to the near top after 3 hours, so if it rises too quickly, just put it in a colder spot. If it raises a bit slowly, don’t worry your pretty little head about it. A slowly rising dough has the most character. 

7. Whatever the level, after 3 hours jiggle the bowl a bit.  If the mixture wobbles, we are on to a winner. Now put it covered in a cold area or even fridge and go to bed, watch a movie or whatever and forget about it. In the morning when making your coffee look in surprise at this elevating wonder. Put it in the kitchen and have your coffee. Or even leave it in the fridge for 2 days more and continue as below after leaving it to warm a bit for an hour first.

1. Preheat your oven at maximum for 15 minutes with one rack just below middle height. Meanwhile place a oven paper on the counter – as square as possible and tip the dough in sections onto it as central as possible using your wooden spoon. Lift it a lot as you tip it to incorporate more air. Leave it there – the messier it looks, the better. Don’t expect it to rise like a phoenix.

   

2. Once the oven has pre-heated, insert the dutch kettle in the oven WITHOUT its lid for EXACTLY 30 minutes. The advantage of leaving the lid off is this little step gives a better bread.
3. 12. After 30 minutes remove the kettle and lift the dough on its paper and drop it into the kettle. Cut off any paper that sticks above the rim. sprinkle a bit of oil across the top and a bit of course salt. Herbs look pretty but usually just drop off so I learnt to save time.

   

   13. All done? Place the lid on the kettle and return it to the oven. Immediately turn down to gas mark 8 – google for your oven’s equivalent and also remember, some ovens are hotter or colder than others at the same heat. Fan ovens are far too hot IMHO so the heat needs to be lowered a bit more. But any oven will need adjustments. 

4. 14. Leave this for 65 minutes – just check at 55 minutes to verify the colour of the bread top. A nice golden colour is needed. If it is too light, the flour won’t be really mature  or cooked properly. 
5. Take the kettle out of the oven WITH OVEN GLOVES and don’t burn yourself on it like I tend to do! With a longish flat spatula inserted under the oven paper, lever it up and grab the edges of the paper.  Plop it onto a bread board and remove the paper. Sometimes a bit sticks in the crust so just tug on it to remove. 
6. Now wrap the bread in a generous clean tea towel for at least half an hour to develop and soften the crust slightly. You can prepare some dips, softened butter, olive oil with a bit of salt and a nice wine in the meantime. 

   

7. 17. Cut a few slices, not too chunky – good bread knife essential – marvel at your creation – and get tucked in. This is a rich generous sized bread with lots of chew and texture. Some people cut it in half to freeze it as it lasts that long! I find that one loaf lasts me 10 days with the occasional guest – you need to keep it wrapped up in a very cool place, even the fridge. As it gradually becomes harder, it makes the best toast in the world.

   

Voilà! No, or yes, I’m not one to be discrete.    Haha. Enjoy.