White Bread Recipe

White Bread Recipe
Adapted from "Ile de pain" Café Food Recipe Book

Recipe by Jackie Cameron

I'd like to share a few of the recipes on the Hartford House Christmas tasting menu - a sneak preview of the 12 or so courses, you may say.

Yields : 3 small round loaves

Ingredients :

1 kg White Bread Flour

350 ml room temperature Water

200 ml room temperature Water and 15 g Fresh Yeast

200ml room temperature Water and 20 ml fine Salt

Extra :

Flour for sprinkling

Olive Oil

Method :

1) Place the flour into a well on a clean counter top

2) Add the 350 ml water to the centre of the well, use one hand to start incorporating the water. Then add the yeast water, incorporate and then the salt water. The dough will be sticky and unstructured

3) Sprinkle flour onto the dough and your hands and shape into a loose ball

4) Grease a large stainless steel bowl with olive oil and place the dough into this covered with a cloth and leave for 30-45 minutes

5) Pour the dough onto a floured surface. Pick up the edges of the dough and fold them over to the centre of the dough. Do this until the dough is firmer

6) Place this back into a freshly oiled bowl and rest for another 30-45 minutes. Do this two more times so in all 4x45minutes

7) At this stage place an oven pan into the oven at 240˚C

8) Tip the dough onto a floured surface and divide into three amounts, about 500g per ball, continue folding each ball until neat "ish"

9) Place these onto a baking sheet and allow one more rising for 30-45 minutes or until double in size

10) Use an "old-style" razor blade or a very sharp knife and slice, just to penetrate, at an angle the dough. One one-way and then the other way to form long diagonal cuts

11) Work quickly and place the bread onto the hot tray in the oven and cook between 200-220˚C for 10 minutes until the loaves show colour. Then reduce the heat to 180˚C for 25-30 minutes

12) This should have a slight hollow sound when cooked. Cool on a wrack and serve Please post your comments and any food-related questions below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jackie Cameron
Head Chef
Hartford House
www.hartford.co.za
jackie@hartford.co.za
+27 33 263 2713