French Boule or Crusty Loaf
How to make a French Boule or crusty farmhouse loaf, simple step by step instructions, from start to finish.
Ingredients
Method
- 500g / 18oz White Bread Flour
- 250g / 250mls Lukewarm water / 40°C / 104°F
- 15g / 1tbls any cooking oil
- 7g / 2tsp Instant or active dried Yeast
- 8g / 1tsp Salt
- 6g / 1tsp Sugar
- Add the sugar to the warm water and stir, once the sugar has dissolved, add the yeast and stir it in thoroughly, set it aside until it activates.
- Once activated, add the yeast mixture to your stand mixer bowl.
- Place the rest of the bread ingredients into your mixer bowl, and using the dough hook, knead for 10 minutes.
- If you are kneading this recipe by hand, add all of the ingredients to a bowl and partially mix it all together, tip it out onto your worktop and knead the dough for 10 minutes, then carry on with recipe.
- Turn out the dough from the mixer and form it into a ball, place it into a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl and let it proof/rise for a minimum of 1 hour, the dough should double in size (this may take longer depending on the temperature of your kitchen) if you can, proof your dough in the oven, with just the light bulb on.
- Lightly grease a large baking or cookie sheet with lard, butter, or a solid vegetable fat.
- After the proofing time, turn out the risen dough onto a non-floured surface, and knock the dough back, this simply means force all of the gas out of it.
- Form the dough into a ball once more, and place it in the middle of the greased baking sheet,
- Lightly flour the top of the dough, then cover it with a dry light weight cloth, and allow it to proof for 45 minutes this time.
- When you think there is only 10 minutes left on the proof time, preheat your oven to 200°C / 390°F / Gas Mark 6.
- At the same time, place pan of hot water on the bottom shelf of the oven, the steam that produced in the oven, is what makes your bread crispy.
- Once the dough has fully risen, sprinkle a bit more flour on the dough, now, using your bakers lame or blade, score the bread, see the video for scoring designs.
- Get it into the preheated oven, and set your timer for 25 minutes.
- Once the time is up, remove it from the oven, and place the bread on a wire rack, allow it to cool for 20 minutes or so.
- Slice and serve warm, with lots butter.
- Enjoy.
Equipment & products used in my kitchen and videos
