by John Ryan Brooks
Photo by John Ryan Brooks
John Ryan Brooks's Notes:
Expand1 kilogram all-purpose flour Ask a question about this ingredient
1 heaping tablespoon salt Ask a question about this ingredient
1 envelope active dry yeast (1/4 oz) Ask a question about this ingredient
3/4 liters warm water Ask a question about this ingredient
Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Ask a question about this stepPour the yeast into a small bowl or coffee mug and add a little less than a cup of the warm water. Stir to dissolve the yeast.
Ask a question about this stepWith one hand slowly pour the remaining warm water into the flour/salt mixture and mix with the other. Continue to mix and knead until the dough forms a dry ball which is fun to punch.
Ask a question about this stepAfter you’ve given the yeast orgy 10 minutes to get well underway, add the yeasty water to the dough ball. At this point the dough becomes a slimy lumpy paste which requires at least 30 minutes of continuous kneading, though Nathalie recommended 45 minutes to an hour. I use only one hand to knead the dough (aka massage the paste) at this point because it takes a long time, is very sticky, and if you get interrupted and need to use your hands you will lose quite a bit of dough when you wash them.
Ask a question about this stepWhen you’re finished kneading, scrape the dough off your hand onto the sticky mass which has just sucked away part of your soul and cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel. Give the dough 3 hours to rise.
Ask a question about this stepGenerously flour a clean working surface, and pull the dough out of the bowl onto the counter, scraping the sides. At this point the dough has transformed into a pillowy magical substance which makes you believe the French really know what they’re doing. Press and fold the dough many times until you have kneaded out all the air and form into a ball.
Ask a question about this stepLine a shallow, wide-mouthed bowl or basket with a kitchen towel (use the same one if it's dry) and coat with flour. Place the dough ball inside and wrap loosely with the sides of the towel. Set aside again to rise for 1 to 2 hours.
Ask a question about this stepPre-heat the oven to 350˚F and generously flour a baking pan or cookie sheet. Transfer the dough from the bowl to the cookie sheet simply by lifting the towel and letting the dough slide onto the pan. It will look deflated and pathetic, but that’s ok. With a sharp or serrated knife carve a shallow grid (i.e. tic-tac-toe sign) in the top of the loaf and bake for about an hour. Give it ten minutes or so before slicing but serve while it’s still warm!
Ask a question about this stepOkay, buddy, I accept the challenge. Stay tuned . . . . . ;o) P.S. Great instructions. In particular, I like the story told in the instructions (as well as in the headnote), and I especially like the attitude.
Thanks so much for your comment! Everytime I make this recipe I feel like the story gets a new chapter. Excited to hear how it turns out!
Awesome story! One day, when I've got the stamina, I'll give this a try.
I saw on your profile page that you love your mixer. I don't have one but I'd be very interested to hear how it works if you use one. I imagine 20 minutes or so on low speed would be more than enough to match the kneading power of a single human hand, but I couldn't tell you for sure. Let me know if you try it out!
I could definitely give the mixer a try, but it really seems against the spirit of this recipe! I've made cake batter using that much flour with the mixer, but never bread dough. I guess if the mixer couldn't handle it, I could just do it by hand.
Shuna is a pastry chef in New York City and author of the acclaimed blog Eggbeater.
Thank you John for this recipe. I have always been afraid of baking but I started to get more into it about 2 years ago. Bread baking for me was the ultimate challenge. I decide to look my fear in the eye and take on your recipe. First, this is a really great bread. Great crust and nice chewy center. It was great with butter. As far as making it, I added a pinch of sugar to the yeast and water mixer. I decided to use a KitchenAid mixer because the kneading looked strenuous. Once I added the water to the flour it never quite became a ball and was very wet and hard to handle. Because I am an amateur and didn't follow the instructions exactly, I added more flour throughout the kneading process to firm up the dough because it never got to a "ball-like" state. The bread ended up being firmer than I think it should have been, very dense but still delicious! I think this will be a go to bread recipe. Next time I will try the hand technique and let you know how it turns out.