Wholemeal flour has less gluten than white, so village bread comes out denser. The long prove balances that: over four hours the acids the yeast produces both slacken the dough and deepen the flavour.
Ingredients
For the dough
Method
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Mix
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl into a rough dough.
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Knead briefly
Knead for ten minutes and cover the bowl.
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Long prove
Leave at room temperature for 4 hours. Every hour, take hold of the edge of the dough and fold it into the middle; this develops the gluten.
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Shape
Turn the dough onto a floured worktop, round it and shape a loaf.
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Heat the pot
Heat a lidded cast iron pot with the oven at 240 degrees.
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Bake
Put the dough into the hot pot, put the lid on and bake for 30 minutes.
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Colour the crust
Take the lid off and bake for 20 minutes more.
Tips
- Use little yeast. Plenty of yeast raises it fast but does not give the flavour of village bread.
- Do not skip the folds; they take the place of kneading.
- A cast iron pot traps the steam, so no oven steam is needed.
Nutrition
195
kcal
7 g
Protein
2 g
Fat
38 g
Carbs
1 g
Sugar
5 g
Fibre
Values are per serving and approximate.