Artisan Loaf Help!

[HolyFocacciaa]

Hey all, bread bakers I need your help! I have a 3.3L cast iron enamel coated casserole dish (one from Habitat). I make bread but only focaccia, sandwich rolls usually.

I’d like to make a round loaf in this dish but need a recipe! Does anyone have any appropriate recipes for a loaf using this dish size please? I would also prefer one with stretch and folds rather than kneading. I’ve had a look online but Google is crowded by American recipes which confuse me and I generally prefer UK ones! Thank you :)

If you google Elaine Boddy sourdough recipe it's very easy,
Do you have starter?
I haven't heard of the stretch and fold method other than for sourdough

Sorry I should have clarified it isn’t sourdough I’m wanting to make - I usually do stretch and folds for my focaccia most of all! :)

Ah ok I have never made foccacia!

Try recipetineats
World's Easiest Yeast Bread recipe - Artisan, NO KNEAD crusty bread - RecipeTin Eats https://share.google/4ilAIZLyjYrhP6kwq is sooo easy. Have a loaf proving now for tomorrows dinner.

And really does look like the picture...

Ooh it’s really satisfying doing the dimpling bit! If you ever wanted to, I’d recommend looking at this profile for recipes www.instagram.com/lacebakes?igsh=MXBpNDFoaGFkOHdzdw==

Thanks so much I’ll take a look!!

We used to make this in our cast iron casserole! It is excellent but be warned, the crust is very robust.

500 flour, 350g water, 7g salt and 7g yeast.

This is the best and so easy -https://www.recipetineats.com/easy-yeast-bread-recipe-no-knead/

Yep you just need a no knead bread recipe, you only do a few stretch and folds or non at all in my case

Your pot is quite small, are you sure its 3.3l?

You need to get the measurements right and the ratio of wet to dry. I work on an 87% hydration (or try to), so for example, for my 2.4l pot I do 300g flour and 262g of water, that is a small loaf but the biggest that will accommodate

In my 4l pot I do 360g of flour and 310g of water, that isnt the biggest I can go in that pot though

The usual size for my 2.4l pot is 240g of flour and 210g of water.

I work all these sizes out with AI

Haha fab thank you and duly noted!

Thank you! Yeah it’s the 3.3L dish from Habitat

Thanks everyone I’ve defo got some recipes to try!

Is it the cast iron ones or aluminium, I know you said it was cast iron, Im just checking

The reason I ask is that my 2,4l pots are the aluminium ones from Habitat, I have a red one, my bigger pot is enameled cast iron from Aldi (I have a much bigger 6.5l pro cook enameled cast iron but the loaf is too big if I use that)

The cast iron definitely has better 'oven spring' than my aluminium pots although both do good bread. My smaller pot I fit in my combi oven so its a bit cheaper on the electric.

Im going to invest in an electric bread knife as the last time I took my bread round someones house they were having to hack away at the crust so much it was laughable. Its proper proper bread, so has a very firm crust.

Sorry I tried to post a screenshot before, this is mine so it’s cast iron but with an enamel coating! I’m after a good bread knife - and bread lame or razor for scoring!

Nice, I cant see the picture but its good cast iron

You dont need to score the top really, it cracks open and makes its own shape

I have this bread knife

The best bread knife | Britain's bread saw | JonoKnife

It is great and cuts through the hardest crusts with ease

I don't bother with 'no-knead' recipes (although I remember doing them as a kid, donkey's years ago), cos I only ever knead for 20-30 secs at a time, and I don't believe "knead for ten minutes" is ever necessary for normal loaves. For ordinary white flour, I have a ratio, which I multiply up and down depending on whether I want a few rolls or a small loaf. I've got a cheapo non-stick milk-saucepan with the handle unscrew d, making a great small cake tin. For that I use 230 g flour. 138 g water (I weigh it!), and 14 g of butter (melted). Half a tsp of salt, pour it all in together, mix it up with a silicon spatula, knead v briefly, cover and leave for 50-60 mins, knock down, leave for 25, preheat oven, bung in after another 15. I go 11 mins @ 220, 9 mins @ 200, YMMV.

yeast?

I mix it with the water and a spoonful of sugar, 'easy-blend' or not. One sachet.

Just a sachet from the shops?

Im interested in trying this but I am strictly no knead

What about a dough mixer on a stand mixer?

And what do you do when you knock it back, just punch it and leave it?

And is this in a bowl or worktop?

There's really no need for a mixer. Literally 20 sec of gentle kneading the first time, and 10 secs the next. I think the trick is, if you get the proportions exactly right, there's none of that faffing about, added a bit more flour or liquid. I bung it all in together, and by the time it's drawn into a ball, the bowl should be virtually clean, so the dough is all ready to go. I just do it on the work-top. I'll be starting one shortly.

Where did you learn it, is there a youtube video of it being done somewhere?

No, I just developed how I did it over time. It's in the oven now.