Artisan Bread

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients:

• 450 grams SNK Pasta Dura Flour
• 2 tsp SNK Gold Standard Yeast
• 2 tsps SNK Natural Bread Improver
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• Fine semolina for dusting

Liquid Ingredients:

• 350ml very warm water (you will probably not use all of this water)
• 2 tsp SNK Cold Pressed Sunflower Oil.

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together and make a well.
2. Pour in ¾ of the liquid and the oil, then mix thoroughly, adding small amounts of water until you have a stiff moist dough. (Note: 50 to 100mls may be left over.)
3. Cover the dough with a plate, towel or chopping board, something heavy to hold the moisture in. Allow it to double in size. (Approximately 30 minutes)
4. Either spray your bench with water or spread a few teaspoons of oil on it.
5. Using your plastic dough scraper, tip the ball of dough out onto the dampened bench.
6. Perform a couple of sets of what are called “stretch and folds” (“S & Fs”)
7. With damp hands (oil or water), flatten the dough into a bit of a square, lift one side of the dough up and allow the weight to stretch the dough. Fold that edge into the middle and press in place. Repeat with the other 3 sides of the dough
8. Place the dough back into the bowl, smooth side up and cover again
9. Leave the dough in a warm place for about 20 mins, then repeat the set of “S & Fs”, return the dough to the bowl again and leave to rise until fully double in size.
10. Clean your bench and dust generously with flour, tip the dough out onto the flour and flip the dough over, this ensures your dough is coated and won’t be too sticky.
11. Shape the dough into a smooth ball, then divide it in half. Shape each half into a smooth ball. Slash dough 2 or 3 times with a sharp knife or blade to increase crust, then dust with semolina.
12. Lightly oil a 700-gram Pre-Seasoned bread tin.
13. Place both halves of dough into the tin, spray with water, and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds.
14. Cook for 30-35 minutes until golden and floury looking. Turn out onto a cooling rack.
15. To clean your bread tins, wait until cool then wipe out with paper towel.

Temperatures:

• Electric: 220°C
• Fan Forced: 200°C
• Gas: 215°C

Note: Olive oil is a viscous oil (becomes sticky when heated) and is not recommended to baste our tins with before baking your bread. We use and recommend Cold Pressed Sunflower Oil.