Pain De Campagne a Traditional French Country Bread

Sponge:

Whole Wheat flour 80g
Bread Flour 300g
Water, cool 380g
Instant Dry Yeast 5g

In a medium mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water then mix the flours in, to make a smooth, wet batter. Allow this to rest and start to ferment at room temperature for 4 hours. It will rise and look bubbly.

Final Dough:

Bread Flour 170g
Iodized Salt 15g
Vegetable Oil 25g

For the final mixing stage, combine your sponge preferment with the rest of the ingredients in a table top mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Begin by mixing the dough on low speed for 4 minutes, giving the bowl a good scrape down, half way through. Once the ingredients have combined, mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. The dough will develop gluten and pull away from the bowl while mixing. The dough with be slightly sticky but should have elasticity. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in size at room temperature. Once the dough has risen, turn in out onto a well-floured table and fold it onto itself 2-3 times. Shape the dough into a round loaf known as a ‘Boule’ With the seam from your last fold of the dough down flat on the table, shape the dough by applying pressure with your hands, from the sides and down, while rounding the loaf. The surface of the dough should be smooth and hold its shape while resting. Place the boule on a parchment or silicone mat lined pan. Cover again with a wet cloth and allow to proof until the dough springs back only 75% of the way when pressed lightly with a floured finger. Score the loaf with a very sharp knife, preferably serrated, with four slashes on the top of the loaf, to make a square. Bake in a 400F conventional oven. When you place the bread in the oven, use a spray bottle to give the inside of the oven a good mist of water. This will help to steam the bread and give it better expansion and crust development. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the loaf feels and sounds hollow or light when tapped. Place on a cooling rack directly out of the oven and cool completely before enjoying.

Katie Bennett, Pastry Supervisor