Sponge (start the night before)
- 100g white bread flour
- 1/2 cup water (room temperature)
- 1/3 tsp dried yeast
Dough
- 250g malted flour
- 180g white bread flour
- 250g water
- all of the sponge (see above)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp milk powder
Method
- Make the sponge the night before. Mix all ingredients together and leave overnight at room temperature. Weigh out dry dough ingredients (flours and milk powder) ready for the next morning.
- The next morning: Stir water and salt, then combine with sponge, and flour mix. Mix until a rough dough forms.
- Cover allow to rest. Stretch and fold in half roughly hourly for about 8 hours at room temperature. (Longer if needed, for less time if it's warm).
- Form a loaf and allow to prove covered for 3 hours (again depending on temperature).
- Toward the end of the 3hrs, preheat oven to 240C (idealy with a baking stone in place as well as shallow tray at the top).
- Score loaf. Turn oven down to 210C. Pop bread onto the hot stone in the oven and pour water from the kettle in the tray for steam.
- Bake for about 35-40 mins.
- Tap the bottom of the loag and a hollow sound means it's done! Dry on a wire rack and enjoy listening to the crust crackle as it cools.
- Slice, and enjoy!