Artisan Bread
A rustic sourdough boule with a crackling crust and open, tangy crumb.
This is a round country loaf baked in a lidded cast-iron pot. The pot stands in for a baker's steam oven: it traps the steam the loaf gives off. Many home bakers know the method from the no-knead bread of the New York baker Jim Lahey, which The New York Times published in 2006. This formula kneads the dough and gives it a night in the fridge.
The formula in numbers
- Hydration
- 68%
- Salt
- 2%
- Olive Oil
- none
- Portion
- 2 × 750 g
- Fermentation source
- Instant Yeast
- Bulk at room temperature
- 4 h
- In the fridge
- 16 h
- Final proof
- 4 h
- Flour strength
- W 200–300
- Flour protein
- 11–13.5%
How to prepare it
- Flour882 g
- Water600 g
- Salt18 g
- Instant Yeast0.64 g
The yeast is dosed for the fermentation times of this formula. The calculator adjusts it to your flour, your kitchen and your schedule.
- W 200–300
The dough
Flour, water, salt and a small dose of yeast. Use a bread flour of W 200 to 300.
The long fermentation does the work on the flavour, so the dough needs very little yeast.
- 68% water
Mixing
Mix until no dry flour is left, then knead until the dough is smooth. At 68% hydration it is easy to handle by hand.
Fold the dough once or twice during the first hours. Each fold adds strength without more kneading.
- 24 h
Fermentation
4 h at room temperature, then 16 h in the fridge. The dough should come out clearly bigger, with bubbles under the surface.
Change the hours in the calculator and the yeast dose follows.
- 4 h
Shaping
Divide the dough into 2 pieces of 750 g. Round each one loosely and let it rest, then shape it tight and set it seam up in a floured basket. Proof it at room temperature for 4 h.
Press a floured finger into the dough. If the dent springs back slowly and not all the way, it is time to bake.
- 35 min
Baking
Heat a lidded cast-iron pot with the oven. Turn the loaf out, score the top and lower it into the pot. Bake at around 230°C (446°F) for 20 min with the lid on, then at 220°C (428°F) for 15 min with the lid off. That is about 35 min in all.
The lid traps the steam the loaf gives off, so the loaf can rise before the crust sets.
The most common mistakes
Wrong:Putting the loaf into a cold pot
Right:Heat the pot and its lid with the oven, so the loaf springs up the moment it goes in.
Wrong:Baking without scoring the top
Right:Cut it with a sharp blade. The loaf then opens where you choose and does not burst at the side.
Wrong:Keeping the lid on for the whole bake
Right:Take it off after 20 min, so the crust can dry and colour.
Wrong:Cutting the loaf while it is hot
Right:Cool it on a rack first. The crumb is still setting and cuts gummy when hot.
Recommended flours
Flour for this formula: W 200–300, 11–13.5% protein. Ranked by fit, then by availability in your country, then by popularity.
