Crusty Bread Recipe Jamie Oliver

BASIC BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Stage 1: making a well Pile the flour on to a clean surface and make a large well in the centre. Pour half your water into the well, then add your yeast, sugar and salt and stir with a fork.
• Stage 2: getting it together Slowly, but confidently, bring in the flour from the inside of the well. (You don't want to break the walls of the well, or the water will go everywhere.) Continue to bring the flour in to the centre until you get a stodgy, porridgey consistency - then add the remaining water. Continue to mix until it's stodgy again, then you can be more aggressive, bringing in all the flour, making the mix less sticky. Flour your hands and pat and push the dough together with all the remaining flour. (Certain flours need a little more or less water, so feel free to adjust.)
• Stage 3: kneading! This is where you get stuck in. With a bit of elbow grease, simply push, fold, slap and roll the dough around, over and over, for 4 or 5 minutes until you have a silky and elastic dough.
• Stage 4: first prove Flour the top of your dough. Put it in a bowl, cover with cling film, and allow it to prove for about half an hour until doubled in size - ideally in a warm, moist, draught-free place. This will improve the flavour and texture of your dough and it's always exciting to know that the old yeast has kicked into action.
• Stage 5: second prove, flavouring and shaping Once the dough has doubled in size, knock the air out for 30 seconds by bashing it and squashing it. You can now shape it or flavour it as required - folded, filled, tray-baked, whatever - and leave it to prove for a second time for 30 minutes to an hour until it has doubled in size once more. This is the most important part, as the second prove will give it the air that finally ends up being cooked into your bread, giving you the really light, soft texture that we all love in fresh bread. So remember - don't fiddle with it, just let it do its thing.
• Stage 6: cooking your bread Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Very gently place your bread dough on to a flour-dusted baking tray and into the preheated oven. Don't slam the door or you'll lose the air that you need. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked and golden brown. You can tell if it's cooked by tapping its bottom - if it sounds hollow it's done, if it doesn't then pop it back in for a little longer. Once cooked, place on a rack and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes - fandabidozi. Feel free to freeze any leftover bread.

CRUSTY BREAD RECIPE JAMIE OLIVER

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt in a large un-greased mixing basin. Pour in the chilly water and stir gently with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. The dough will appear dry and shaggy at first but continue to mix it until all of the flour is soaked. If necessary, work the dough components together with your hands. The dough will be quite sticky. Form a ball in the bowl as best you can.
• Cover the dough securely with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place it on the counter to cool (any regular room temperature will suffice!). Allow for a 2-3 hour rising time. The dough will nearly double in size, adhere to the edges of the basin, and be brimming with air bubbles.
• You can proceed to step 4 right away, but for the greatest flavor and texture, let this rising dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days. Refrigerate the dough, covered, for 12 hours to 3 days. I normally leave it in the fridge for approximately 18 hours. During this time, the dough will bubble up, although it may begin to deflate after 2 days. That's perfectly normal and nothing to be concerned about.
• Lightly flour and/or cornmeal on a big nonstick baking sheet (with or without rims, but make sure it's nonstick). Place the chilled dough on a floured work surface. Cut the dough in half using a sharp knife or bench scraper. As you work with it, some air bubbles will collapse. Place the dough halves on the baking sheet that has been prepared. Shape the dough into two long loaves approximately 93 inches long (they don't have to be precise) and 3 inches apart, using floured hands. Allow resting for 45 minutes after loosely covering. The dough will be baked on this prepared baking sheet. If you wish to use a pizza stone, see the recipe note.
• Preheat the oven to 475°F (246°C) throughout this 45-minute period.
• When ready to bake, score the bread loaves with three slashes, about 1 inch apart, using a very sharp knife or bread lame (some even use kitchen scissors).When ready to bake, score the bread loaves with three slashes approximately 1/2 inch deep with a very sharp knife or bread lame (some even use kitchen shears). ("Score" refers to a shallow incision.) If the formed loaves smoothed out during the 45-minute baking time, use greased hands to re-narrow them along the sides.
• Optional extras for a slightly crispier crust: After preheating the oven and scoring the bread, set a shallow metal or cast iron baking pan or skillet on the lowest oven rack (I generally use a metal 913 baking pan). Pour 3-4 cups of hot water into it carefully and rapidly. Place the scored dough/baking pan on a higher rack and close the oven fast to trap the steam within. The steam aids in the formation of a crisper crust.
• Place the shaped and scored dough (on the flour/cornmeal-dusted pan) on the center rack of a preheated oven. Bake the crust for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Tap the loaves gently- if they sound hollow, the bread is done.
• Allow the bread to cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Leftovers can be kept at room temperature for up to 5 days or refrigerated for up to 10 days.

SIMPLE WHITE CRUSTY BREAD

Steps:

• Begin by warming the flour in the oven for about 10 minutes, then turn the oven off. Sift the flour, salt, yeast and sugar into a bowl, make a well in the centre of the mixture, then add the water. Now mix to a dough, starting off with a wooden spoon and using your hands in the final stages of mixing, adding a spot more water if there are any dry bits. Wipe the bowl clean with the dough and transfer it to a flat work surface (you may need to flour this).
• Knead the dough for 3 minutes or until it develops a sheen and blisters under the surface (it should also be springy and elastic). You can now either return the dough to the mixing bowl or transfer it to a clean bowl; either way, cover it with clingfilm that has been lightly oiled on the side that is facing the dough. Leave it until it looks as though it has doubled in bulk, which will be about 2 hours at room temperature.
• After that, knock the air out, then knead again for 2 minutes. Now divide the dough in half, pat each piece out to an oblong, then fold one end into the centre and the other in on top. Put each one into a buttered tin, sprinkle each with a dusting of flour, then place them side by side in an oiled polythene bag until the dough rises above the tops of the tins – this time about an hour at room temperature. Alternatively, place all the dough in the one tin. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 8, 450F (230C).
• Bake the loaves on the centre shelf for 30-40 minutes, or 35-45 minutes for the large loaf, until they sound hollow when their bases are tapped. Now return them, out of their tins, upside-down to the oven to crisp the base and side crust for about 5 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.