Whole wheat bread (400 gram) or white bread
The recipe assumes a ratio of 60% whole wheat flour and 40% plain flour. This ensures a relatively airy bread with a significant amount of semolina and bran. The ratio can be adjusted, of course. The larger the amount of whole wheat flour, the heavier the bread becomes.
Use 100% plain flour to bake white bread. Substituting 10% whole wheat flour with 10% rye flour is also a very tasty option.
Pre-dough
It is a good idea to prepare the pre-dough a day before baking. This ensures the bread becomes airier and tastier.
In a bowl, combine:
- 50 ml water
- 80 g plain flour, 2 g salt
- 1 vitamin C tablet, crushed
- 2 g sugar
- 2 g salt
- 2 g yeast (when fresh), 1g when dried
Knead the ingredients together to form a dough. The easiest way is to first stir the mixture together with a finger. The mixture will become viscous and then you can start kneading. Knead the dough for around 10 minutes. It should then be stored in the fridge for a minimum of 14 and maximum of 48 hours.
Bread dough:
The bread starter corresponds to 20% of the final dough. Now we start making the remaining 80%. You can bake the dough immediately, but it will be more dense in structure. In a bowl or the tin of the bread making machine, combine:
- 200 ml water
- 250 g whole wheat flour
- 100 g plain flour
- 6 g salt
- 3 vitamin C tablets, crushed
Mix this well, then make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Into this add:
- 15 g fresh or 8 g dried yeast into the dent. The older the dried yeast becomes, the more one needs.
- 8 g sugar
- Splash of olive oil (2 table spoons)
Start the bread making machine (basic programme or dough programme) or start kneading. When kneading by hand, the dough needs at least 20 minutes of thorough kneading. To do this, really stretch out the dough, so it results in a supple, elastic dough.
- After kneading, let the dough rise for 30 minutes in a warm spot under a moist tea towel.
- Take the dough ball out of the bowl, flatten it and fold in the shape of an envelope
- Let it rise for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease a baking tray or line it with baking paper. The dough can also be put into the oven on a pizza stone. In this case, let it rise on a cutting board and place it on the stone for baking.
- Take the dough ball out of the bowl and form it, preferably with slightly wet hands. To make stone-baked bread, flatten the dough slightly and form in the shape of an envelope. Put the lid onto the tray so no gas in the dough can escape.
- Let it rise under a tea towel for 25 minutes
- Pre heat the oven to 250 degrees C
- Bake at 220 degrees C. For buns, bake for 30 minutes. For a whole loaf, bake for 45-50 minutes. Bake the bread in the middle of the oven. Before putting it in the oven, wet the dough and put a splash of water onto the baking tray. This will prevent tears in the bread, making for an airier bread, because the final rise of the dough – which happens in the oven – will start more easily.
