You can find a couple of regular baguette recipes on my channel. They use the exact same principles as this version, so if you have made baguettes before, then you will be able to make these too.

I thought a whole wheat version would be quite unique and interesting. The result was surprisingly good. The crust of the baguette was crispy, and it had a great flavour. It was denser than my white flour baguettes, but that can be adjusted by increasing the hydration.

Although the hydration of this dough is 80% it still came out a little heavier than I expected, but I was happy with the result regardless. If you want to make them, then I would suggest first following my recipe and then adjusting from there if need be.

Things to know when making baguettes.

If for some reason you are not ready to make the bread at that point or you realize that you will not have time to do it just before it is ready, then simply refrigerate it. The preferment can be kept in the fridge safely for about 12 hours and then used as per recipe. Just keep temperature control in mind since a cold poolish will bring down the final dough temperature.

Final shaping is one of the crucial parts. There are various techniques, and they change according to the dough hydration too. The main goal is to create tension and not to degas the dough too much.

Good scoring makes good ears. Ears are the distinct cuts you see on baguettes. Many breads that are scored have ears. What makes the ears of a baguette special are their distinct curved shape. It is achieved by using a razor blade attached to a handle called a lame.

The curved blade ensures that the cut does not go straight down into the dough rather it curves underneath one side of the cut. This makes it lift and open in a particular way.

You can make your own handle from a chopstick; popsicle stick or even a wooden coffee stirrer. Be careful not to slice your fingers!

The blade however does not do the job by itself. It is in the way you slice the dough that gives it a good look. Imagine there is a 1 inch (2.5cm) wide line running down the middle of the loaf. Slice it within that boundary and overlap each cut by 1/3.

Equipment is important. The lame with a razor blade is just one piece to the puzzle.

Final proofing in bakeries is done on a piece of thick cloth called a couche. It is in between the folds of which the baguettes rest. It helps them keep their shape and prevents them from spreading out and sticking to each other. At home you can use a clean towel.

To move the baguettes from the couche a baguette peel is used. It is usually a flat piece of wood. It ensures that the baguettes keep their shape. At home you can use a piece of cardboard cut to the right size.

Steam is extremely important when baking baguettes. It will moisten the surface and prevent it from drying out too soon in the oven. This will ensure that the baguettes rise to their full potential. Steam also prevents the crust from becoming too thick and it makes it extra crispy. Colour and shine are improved too. To create steam, you can place a tray in the oven to heat up and pour half a cup of boiling water in it as soon as the baguettes go in.

A solid base for baking. Any bread should be ideally baked on a hot solid base. It makes the loaf jump up and expand as it hits the oven. You can use a baking steel, a baking stone, or a thick metal tray.

This recipe makes two demi baguettes. To make more multiply the amounts of ingredients.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the preferment –

80g (2.8oz) whole wheat bread flour

60g (2.1oz) water at room temperature About 20C – 24C (68F – 75F). If your kitchen is cooler or warmer adjust the water temperature up or down or keep the poolish in a cooler or warmer area.

0.1g (0.0035oz) instant dry yeast or 0.12g (0.004oz) active dry yeast or 0.3g (0.01oz) fresh yeast. I normally just add a pinch. That seems to equal about 0.1g most of the time.

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

For the main dough –

200g (7.1oz) whole wheat bread flour

164g (5.8oz) cool water*

6g (0.2oz) salt

2g (0.07oz) instant dry yeast or 2.4g (0.085oz) active dry yeast or 6g (0.21oz) fresh yeast

To learn more about dough temperature when using a preferment click here.

The four I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration.

Method

1. Make the preferment. Combine the water and the yeast. Mix to dissolve the yeast. Add the flour and mix until there is no dry flour left. Cover and ferment for 10 – 12 hours.
2. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the water, yeast, salt, and preferment. Mix well to hydrate the yeast and dissolve the salt. Add the flour and mix until there is no dry flour left.
3. Tip the dough out on the table and knead for 10 minutes using the slap & fold method. *Desired dough temperature around 25C (77F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly.
4. Cover and ferment for 45 minutes.
5. Fold.
6. Ferment for 45 minutes.
7. Divide in two equal pieces. Pre-shape and rest for 15 minutes.
8. Final shaping.
9. Place the baguettes on the couche and cover.
10. Final proof 1 hour. *During this time preheat the oven, baking steel and steaming tray to 250C (480F) fan off.
11. Score the baguettes and place them in the oven. As soon as you slide them into the oven pour half a cup of boiling water in the steaming tray. Turn the temperature down to 210C (410F).
12. Bake for about 22 minutes.

Leave to cool down slightly and tuck in!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Unlike most other breads this Tuscan bread contains no salt. But why would anyone make bread without salt?

Salt serves a couple of purposes in bread dough. It is used as seasoning the same way it would be used in cooking and it is also used for controlling fermentation because salt slows down yeast activity.

I have read a couple of theories of why Tuscan bread is made without salt. One being that Tuscan food can be quite rich, so an unsalted bread was eaten alongside it to balance out the flavours. The other theory says that Tuscan bakers made saltless bread because of the high cost of salt back in the old days. This bread is not bland at all. Because of the long fermentation it gains a lot of flavour.

Salt nowadays is affordable so why would you want to make this bread? If you like to make sandwiches with cured meats and various cheeses, then this bread is the perfect vessel for those toppings.

Another good reason to not use salt is to cut down on costs. While salt is affordable it is certainly not free. And since there is no salt in the dough to slow down fermentation a very tiny amount of yeast is needed. The cost of such a loaf basically comes down to the cost of the flour and the electricity.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the biga –

50g (1.75oz) white bread flour

25g (0.9oz) water

0.1g (0.003oz) dry yeast

For the main dough –

230g (8.1oz) white bread flour

20g (0.7oz) whole wheat flour

170g (6oz) cold water

To learn more about dough temperature when using a preferment click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration.

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

Method

1. Make the biga. In a small bowl combine the water, yeast, and flour. Mix until there is no dry flour left. Cover and leave to ferment for 10 – 12 hours.
2. Make the dough. Add the water to a large bowl. Tear the biga into pieces and drop it in the water. This will make it easier to mix. Add the whole wheat and white flours. Mix until there is no dry flour left.
3. Tip the dough out on the table and knead for 5 minutes. *Desired dough temperature 25C (77F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly.
4. Cover and ferment for 1.5 hours.
5. Fold.
6. Ferment for 1.5 hours.
7. Pre-shape and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
8. Final shaping.
9. Final proof should take around 1 – 1.5 hours. *During the final hour of fermentation preheat your oven and baking vessel to 220C (430F) fan off.
10. Invert the dough onto the pre-heated pan and score it with a razor or a knife.
11. Bake with the lid on for 20 minutes.
12. Remove the lid and bake for 15 minutes.

Enjoy with your favourite cold cuts and cheeses.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Good baguettes take a lot of practice to master. I will show you all the details you need to know to start off your journey to baguette perfection.

In my opinion a baguette is one of the most difficult breads to master. The outcome is all in the handling of it. And the equipment plays an important role too.

The ingredients are extremely basic. Flour, water, yeast, and salt.

What makes a baguette special is its flavour and its crust to crumb ratio. Flavour is provided by a preferment. A poolish to be exact. It adds a sour note from the long fermentation, and it gives the crumb a good chew and the crust a brilliant crispiness.

Not only is the crust crispy but there is a lot of it in relation to the crumb. Because a baguette is long and thin the soft interior makes up a smaller part of the loaf unlike in a boule that has less crust in relation to crumb.

These characteristics set the baguette apart from other breads, but it does come at a cost. You must eat it on the same day because it stales very quickly.

Things to know when making baguettes.

The preferment must be just right. A significant amount of the total flour is prefermented. This poses a risk since an over fermented poolish will have broken down flour which will weaken the final dough. A good indication of the poolish being just right is when it starts collapsing in the middle. You will see a little valley appearing. It is perfect at that point.

If for some reason you are not ready to make the bread at that point or you realize that you will not have time to do it just before it is ready, then simply refrigerate it. The preferment can be kept in the fridge safely for about 12 hours and then used as per recipe. Just keep temperature control in mind since a cold poolish will bring down the final dough temperature.

Pre-shaping and final shaping. A light pre-shape is what this dough requires. If the dough is too tight, then it will need to rest more before the final shaping. If a tight dough is shaped too soon it will resist and not cooperate. This will of course depend on the hydration and the flour used.

Final shaping is one of the crucial parts. There are various techniques, and they change according to the dough hydration too. The main goal is to create tension and not to degas the dough too much.

Good scoring makes good ears. Ears are the distinct cuts you see on baguettes. Many breads that are scored have ears. What makes the ears of a baguette special are their distinct curved shape. It is achieved by using a razor blade attached to a handle called a lame.

The curved blade ensures that the cut does not go straight down into the dough rather it curves underneath one side of the cut. This makes it lift and open in a particular way.

You can make your own handle from a chopstick; popsicle stick or even a wooden coffee stirrer. Be careful not to slice your fingers!

The blade however does not do the job by itself. It is in the way you slice the dough that gives it s good look. Imagine there is a 1 inch (2.5cm) wide line running down the middle of the loaf. Slice it within that boundary and overlap each cut by 1/3.

Equipment is important. The lame with a razor blade is just one piece to the puzzle.

Final proofing in bakeries is done on a piece of thick cloth called a couche. It is in between the folds of which the baguettes rest. It helps them keep their shape and prevents them from spreading out and sticking to each other. At home you can use a clean towel.

To move the baguettes from the couche a baguette peel is used. It is usually a flat piece of wood. It ensures that the baguettes keep their shape. At home you can use a piece of cardboard cut to the right size.

Steam is extremely important when baking baguettes. It will moisten the surface and prevent it from drying out too soon in the oven. This will ensure that the baguettes rise to their full potential. Steam also prevents the crust from becoming too thick and it makes it extra crispy. Colour and shine are improved too. To create steam you can place a tray in the oven to heat up and pour half a cup of boiling water in it as soon as the baguettes go in.

A solid base for baking. Any bread should be ideally baked on a hot solid base. It makes the loaf jump up and expand as it hits the oven. You can use a baking steel, a baking stone, or a thick metal tray.

This recipe makes two demi baguettes. To make more multiply the amounts of ingredients.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the poolish –

80g (2.8oz) white bread flour

80g (2.8oz) water at room temperature About 20C – 24C (68F – 75F). If your kitchen is cooler or warmer adjust the water temperature up or down or keep the poolish in a cooler or warmer area.

0.1g (0.0035oz) instant dry yeast or 0.12g (0.004oz) active dry yeast or 0.3g (0.01oz) fresh yeast. I normally just add a pinch. That seems to equal about 0.1g most of the time.

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

For the main dough –

200g (7.1oz) white bread flour

95g (3.35oz) cool water*

6g (0.2oz) salt

1g (0.035oz) instant dry yeast or 1.2g (0.042oz) active dry yeast or 3g (0.1oz) fresh yeast

To learn more about dough temperature when using a preferment click here.

The four I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration.

Method

1. Make the poolish. Combine the water and the yeast. Mix to dissolve the yeast. Add the flour and mix until there is no dry flour left. Cover and ferment for 10 – 12 hours.
2. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the water, yeast, salt, and poolish. Mix well to hydrate the yeast and dissolve the salt. Add the flour and mix until there is no dry flour left.
3. Tip the dough out on the table and knead for 6 minutes. *Desired dough temperature 25C – 26C (77F – 79F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly.
4. Cover and ferment for 1.5 hours.
5. Fold.
6. Ferment for 1.5 hours.
7. Divide in two equal pieces. Pre-shape and rest for 20 minutes.
8. Final shaping.
9. Place the baguettes on the couche and cover.
10. Final proof 1 hour. *During this time preheat the oven, baking steel and steaming tray to 250C (480F) fan off.
11. Score the baguettes and mist with some water if you have a spray bottle.
12. As soon as you slide them into the oven pour half a cup of boiling water in the steaming tray. Turn the temperature down to 210C (410F).
13. Bake for about 22 minutes.

Leave to cool down slightly and tuck in!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Miche or pain de campagne is an old-style French country bread.

The reason for its large size is the fact that back in the old days most people did not have ovens at home. Bread dough would be made at home and brought to the village bakery or communal oven to be baked. This was not a daily occasion, so the bread had to feed a whole family for several days or even up to a couple of weeks.

The miche made with this recipe is only 2kg (4.4lb). They can get multiple times larger.

An advantage of such a large bread is its ability to retain moisture thus keeping it fresh for longer. In fact, the larger the bread the slower it will stale.

It is usually made with a sourdough starter, but in this recipe, we replace it with a yeasted preferment which works similarly. It provides a lot more flavour than a straight-through dough and it adds acidity which will prevent the bread from becoming mouldy.

Another unique characteristic of a large bread that is kept for a long time is the way it develops flavour as the days go by. It becomes more complex with age. It will stale just like every other bread, but it will stay soft for several days and even after a week it will be still perfect for toasted sandwiches.

You could bake this huge loaf, cut it into 2 or 4 pieces and share it with someone.

Best kept in a bread box or wrapped in paper to extend its shelf life. Do not wrap a bread like this in plastic wrap or palace it in a plastic bag as the moisture in the loaf may promote mould growth.

You will need a large tray, baking stone, or baking steel. A large pizza paddle or cookie sheet will help with moving this loaf to the oven. If your oven and other baking equipment are not large enough, then you can reduce the amount of ingredients by 1/4 or 1/3. 

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the preferment –

200g (7.05oz) high protein wholegrain wheat flour

130g (4.6oz) water at room temperature if your kitchen is between 22C – 24C (72F – 75F) *

Pinch of yeast

*To learn more about dough temperature control click here.

For the autolyse –

900g (2lb) high protein wholegrain wheat flour

740g (1.65lb) water at room temperature

22g (0.77oz) salt**

To finish the dough –

30g (1.05oz) water at room temperature

10g instant dry yeast or 12g (0.42oz) active dry yeast or 30g (1.05oz) fresh yeast

Method

1. Make the preferment. In a bowl combine the water and yeast. Mix to dissolve. Add the flour and mix until there is no dry flour left. Cover and leave to ferment for 12 hours. If your kitchen is warmer, it will ferment more rapidly. If you are not ready to make the final dough by the time the preferment has fully fermented, then place it in the fridge to slow the fermentation. That is what I did. To learn more about dough temperature when using a preferment click here.
2. Make the autolyse. In a large bowl combine the water, preferment, and flour. Mix well until there is no dry flour left. Sprinkle the salt over the dough and pat it down with a wet hand. **Autolyse is normally performed without salt as the salt would hinder gluten formation. Sprinkling it over the top does not affect it enough to cause any significant damage.
3. Leave to hydrate for 30 minutes.
4. Dissolve the yeast in the remaining water and pour onto the dough. Work the mix until the yeast has been absorbed. *If you are using active dry yeast you may need to dissolve the yeast in the water 10 minutes earlier to make sure it is ready to be used.
5. Tip the dough out on the table and knead using the stretch & fold method for 10 – 12 minutes. *Desired dough temperature 25C (77F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly.
6. Cover and ferment for 35 – 40 minutes. This dough can ferment quite quickly.
7. Give it a coil fold on all sides.
8. Ferment for another 35 – 40 minutes.
9. Pre-shape.
10. Leave to rest for 20 minutes. *During this time start preheating your oven, baking tray, and a tray for water to 250C (482F) fan off.
11. Final shaping. Place the loaf on a large square of non-stick paper.
12. Final proof may take as little as 30 minutes. A large dough ferments more rapidly than a smaller one.
13. Score the dough and carefully place it in the oven. Pour 1 cup of boiling water onto the preheated tray to create steam. Be extremely careful when doing this. It is easy to scald your hands forearms. Use oven gloves. Also, do not pour any water on the oven door glass because it may shatter!
14. Turn the heat down to 200C (392F) and bake the loaf for 1 hour turning it around for an even bake. It the top is getting too dark, then cover it with tin foil.
15. Leave to cool down for at least 12 hours before cutting into it.

Enjoy your gigantic bread that will only get better as the days go by ?

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Cuban bread may look quite simple at first glance, but don’t let it deceive you. It has an amazingly soft texture and lovely flavour which is enhanced by the addition of lard.

Made using a preferment it has more character than your regular white loaf. It just goes to show that a few basic ingredients can create something awesome.

I only recently started using lard in breadmaking. Up until now I only considered store-bought lard which is flavourless most of the time. So, I decided to make my own by rendering down some smoked bacon lardons. It worked perfectly and it really makes the bread taste of porky goodness. If you don’t eat pork, then you can swap for any other fat you like.

Cuban bread is used in making the famous Cuban sandwich packed with pulled pork, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard mayo. The pork lard flavoured bread perfectly complements this combo. Super crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle it just melts in your mouth while having a nice crunch at the same time.

This recipe will be enough for two hungry mouths. To make more simply multiply the amount of ingredients and make more loaves.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the preferment –

50g (1.75oz) white bread flour

50g (1.75oz) water

Tiny pinch of yeast

For the main dough –

200g (7.05oz) white bread flour

3g (0.1oz) instant dry yeast or 3.6g (0.12oz) active dry yeast or 9g (0.31oz) fresh yeast

5g (0.17oz) salt

25g (0.9oz) lard

10g (0.35oz) sugar

105g (3.7oz) cold water*

*To learn more about dough temperature when using a preferment click here.

Method

1. Make the preferment. In a bowl combine the water, pinch of yeast, and flour. Mix until there is no dry flour left. Cover and ferment for 10 – 14 hours.
2. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the water, yeast, salt, and sugar. Mix well to dissolve the salt & hydrate the yeast. Add the lard, preferment, and flour.
3. Mix until there is no dry flour left. Tip the dough out on the table and knead it for 6 minutes. *Desired dough temperature 25C – 26C (77F – 79F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly.
4. Cover and ferment for 1 hour.
5. Fold.
6. Ferment for 1 more hour.
7. Dust the dough with flour, tip it out on the table and stretch it gently to a long rectangle shape. Roll it up and seal the seam. Flatten the loaf.
8. Place the loaf on a non-stick paper lined tray. Cover and ferment for 1 – 1.5 hours or until doubled in volume. *During the final hour of fermentation preheat your oven to 200C (390F) fan off.
9. Dust the loaf with flour and score it with a razor blade or a knife.
10. Bake for 20 – 23 minutes until golden brown all over.
11. Leave to cool
12. To make the sandwich cut the loaf in two and then slice in half. Spread mustard mayo, place Swiss cheese on both sides, top with smoked ham, pickles, and warm pulled pork. Brush the surface of the sandwich with more lard.
13. Grill in a panini press for 3 – 4 minutes. You can also cook it in a pan, but then you need to press it down with something heavy. Preferably a preheated cast iron skillet.

Enjoy!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

I had never used spelt flour before I made these little seeded rolls. The only reason being that I had never found spelt flour in any of the shops I frequent.

Quite a few of you wanted spelt flour recipes and I wanted to expand on the new Wholemeal/Multi Grain Breads playlist I made, so this was the perfect way to do it.

Spelt flour has a different balance of gluten forming proteins than regular wheat flour. Gluten is formed between two proteins – glutenin & gliadin. Glutenin makes the dough elastic and gliadin makes it stretchy. Spelt flour has less glutenin, so it will produce a dough that is more stretchy and less elastic.

It is by no means a bad thing, just something to be aware of. Stretchy dough will produce lighter bread. But it will be trickier to handle.

Spelt is also a bit healthier than regular wheat, especially the wholegrain kind that we use in this recipe. The seeds add their own nutritional value, and the use of a preferment brings great flavour.

This recipe makes 8 large rolls. If you would like to make more simply multiply the amount of ingredients. You can also make this into a sandwich loaf by baking the dough in a tin.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the preferment –

100g (3.5oz) white bread flour

100g (3.5oz) water

25g (0.9oz) pine nuts

25g (0.9oz) linseeds

Pinch of yeast

For the main dough –

350g (12.3oz) wholegrain spelt flour

9g (0.3oz) salt

6g (0.2oz) instant dry yeast or 7.2g (0.25oz) active dry yeast or 18g (0.6oz) fresh yeast

20g (0.7oz) honey

260g (9.15oz) water at room temperature if your kitchen is between 19C – 22C (66F – 72F) *

*To learn more about dough temperature when using a preferment click here.

1 egg for glazing

50g (1.75oz) linseeds to sprinkle on top

Method

1. Make the preferment. In a bowl combine the water, pinch of yeast, seeds, and flour. Mix well until there is no dry flour left. Cover and ferment for 10 – 14 hours or until doubled in size.
2. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the water, salt, yeast, and honey. Mix well to dissolve the salt and hydrate the yeast. Add the preferment and the spelt flour. Mix again until there is no dry flour left.
3. Tip the dough out on the table and leave it to rest for 15 minutes. This will allow the spelt flour to absorb the water better and develop some gluten.
4. Knead the dough using the stretch & fold method for 10 minutes. *Desired dough temperature 24C – 25C (75F – 77F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly.
5. Cover and ferment for 1 hour.
6. Fold.
7. Ferment for 1 more hour.
8. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and pre-shape.
9. Leave to rest for 15 minutes.
10. Shape the dough balls.
11. Place on a non-stick paper lined tray, dust with flour, cover and leave for the final proof. This will take around 1 hour depending on the temperature of your kitchen. *During the final proofing preheat your oven to 160C (320F) fan on.
12. Brush the rolls with egg and sprinkle with seeds.
13. Bake for 25 minutes.
14. Leave to cool down a bit and enjoy!

These rolls will stay soft even a day later, so you can keep enjoying them. Once they do become stale you can toast them to bring them back to life.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

These deli rye bread rolls are a great alternative to regular 100% white flour rolls.

The crumb is super soft and springy without using any fat in the dough. It is the rye flour that makes this happen because it has practically no gluten it makes the dough extensible and lets it puff up and expand more as it is rising.

You can control the texture of the crust to your liking. I used an egg wash which made it a little chewy, but you can simply spray it with water to make it crispier.

The use of a preferment gives the rolls more flavour and will extend their shelf life too. Wholemeal rye flour is best for this recipe as it has more flavour.

So, there are a few principles in this video that can be applied to many bread recipes.

This recipe yields 8 decently large buns.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the preferment –

60g (2.1oz) wholemeal rye flour

Small pinch of yeast

50g (1.75oz) water at room temperature, around 22C – 24C (72F – 75F). If your kitchen is particularly cool or warm, then adjust the water temperature up or down to compensate.

For the main dough –

400g (14.1oz) strong white bread flour

9g (0.3oz) caraway seeds

9g (0.3oz) salt

6g (0.21oz) instant dry yeast or 7.2g (0.25oz) active dry yeast or 18g (0.63oz) fresh yeast

250g (8.8oz) cold water*

*To learn more about dough temperature control click here.

To top –

1 egg for glazing, whisked

Caraway seeds to sprinkle on top

For the sandwich filling –

Pastrami

Swiss cheese

Gherkins

Sauerkraut

Russian dressing –

1 part Worcestershire sauce

3 parts yellow mustard

6 parts mayonnaise

6 parts ketchup

Chopped chives

Method

1. Make the preferment. In a bowl combine the water, pinch of yeast, and rye flour. Mix until no dry flour left. Cover and ferment for 12 – 16 hours or until puffed up and full of gas. If you are not ready to bake yet by the time the preferment has risen, then place it in your fridge to slow down fermentation. This is also a great way of controlling the final dough temperature if your kitchen is particularly warm as the preferment will bring the dough temperature down. To learn more about dough temperature control when using a preferment click here.
2. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the water, yeast, salt, and caraway seeds. Mix well to dissolve the salt and hydrate the yeast. Add the white flour and mix until no dry flour left.
3. Tip the dough out on your table and knead for 3 minutes to get some gluten going. After 3 minutes stretch the dough out and add the preferment. Fold it in and continue kneading for 4 more minutes. *Desired dough temperature 24C – 25C (75F – 77F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly.
4. Cover and ferment for 1 hour.
5. Fold.
6. Ferment for 1 more hour.
7. Divide into 8 equal pieces and pre-shape into round balls.
8. Dust with flour, cover and rest for 20 minutes.
9. Final shape. Place the dough balls on a non-stick paper lined tray, dust them with flour and cover with cling film.
10. Final proof 1 – 1.5 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen. They should double in size. *During this time preheat your oven to 160C (320F) fan on.
11. Gently brush the rolls with egg and sprinkle them with caraway seeds. Press them in lightly with the palms of your hands to really make them stick.
12. Bake for 25 minutes. Turn the tray around halfway through the bake to get a nice and even crust.
13. Leave to cool

To make the sandwich toast the buns in butter, fill em’ up and tuck in!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Eastern Europe has so much to offer when it comes to rye bread. There are hundreds of different ones out there. Growing up in Latvia I was fortunate enough to have them readily available.

No wonder that this is the 7^th rye bread video on my channel. I recently made a Belarusian rye which was nice and soft with a sweet & sour flavour. The method for that bread was quite like this one. Although this one is simpler, but just as good.

Russian borodinsky bread is a dark rye bread made with a yeast derived preferment or a leaven. I chose yeast for simplicity this time. It is flavoured with malted rye, caraway, coriander seeds, and dark syrup. A small addition of cocoa gives it an extra rich dark colour.

There are two important parts to this recipe.

– The preferment which will give the bread a stronger flavour. It is made by simply mixing part of the rye flour with some water and a tiny amount of yeast and leaving it to ferment for 12 hours.

– The scald which is made up of part rye flour, caraway seeds, coriander seeds, and the malted rye. It is mixed with boiling water to gelatinize the starches in the flour and to maximize the flavour of the other ingredients. Ideally you should keep the scald at 65C for several hours, but I left it at room temperature, and it got the job done. If you have a way of keeping it at a stable temperature for so long, then do it because it will improve the texture of the loaf even further.

The key ingredient in this recipe is the malted rye. You simply can not make this bread without it. Well, you could but it would taste nothing like it should. To find the rye malt search for ‘fermented rye malt’ on ebay.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the preferment –

60g (2.1oz) wholemeal rye flour

60g (2.1oz) water

Tiny pinch of yeast

For the scald –

120g (4.2oz) wholemeal rye flour

30g (1oz) malted rye

8g (0.3oz) crushed caraway seeds

8g (0.3oz) crushed coriander seeds

180g (6.3oz) boiling water

*I crushed the seeds with a pestle and mortar.

For the main dough –

120g (4.2oz) white flour

120g (4.2oz) rye flour

25g (0.9oz) malt syrup or molasses

3g (0.1oz) instant dry yeast or 3.6g (0.12oz) active dry yeast 9g (0.32oz) fresh yeast

8g (0.3oz) salt

6g (0.2oz) cocoa powder

100g (3.5oz) water

To finish the loaf –

Whole caraway seeds

Whole coriander seeds

Vegetable oil

*All my ingredients were at room temperature which was around 25C (77F). If your kitchen is warmer or cooler, then adjust the water temperature in the main dough up or down. To learn more about dough temperature control click here.

Method

1. Make the scald. In a bowl combine the rye flour, crushed coriander seeds, crushed caraway seeds, and malted rye. Add the boiling water and mix until there is no dry flour left. Cover and leave on the side.
2. Make the preferment. In a bowl combine the water, rye flour, and a small pinch of yeast. Mix well until there is no dry flour left. Leave to ferment for around 12 hours.
3. Once the preferment is ready continue with the main dough. In a large bowl combine the water, yeast, salt, cocoa powder, and syrup. Mix well to dissolve any large salt crystals and to hydrate the yeast.
4. Add the preferment and mix again. Add the scald and mix once more. It is important to do everything in stages and in order. That way you will get a consistent mix at the end without too much effort.
5. Once everything has been mixed to a nice paste add the white flour. Mix again, and finally add the rye flour. Keep mixing until there is no more dry flour left. You can continue mixing by hand. If the dough starts sticking to your hands too much, then wet them with some water and continue.
6. Brush a bowl with some vegetable oil. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl. *Desired dough temperature 26 – 27C (79 – 80F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly.
7. Cover and ferment for 1 hour.
8. Give the dough a fold. Wet your hands with water to make it easier to handle the dough.
9. Ferment for 1 more hour.
10. Brush the dough with oil and drop it out on your table. Flatten the dough and shape it into a loaf. Sprinkle with the whole caraway and coriander seeds.
11. Place the loaf in a greased non-stick paper lined baking tin. Press it into shape.
12. Cover and ferment for 1 hour. You will know that the dough has risen enough when you see a nice dome on top of it. *During the final fermentation preheat your oven to 200C (390F) fan off.
13. Bake the loaf for 50 minutes.
14. Remove it from the tin and spray it with water all over. If you do not have a spray bottle, then you can use a brush instead. The wetting of the crust will make it nice and soft and springy.
15. Place the loaf back in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Leave it to cool down for at least 3 hours. I know it is hard, but it is well worth it. The loaf is still developing during this time. If you cut it too soon it will be gummy inside. Ideally you should leave it overnight.

Check out some more Baking World Tour videos while you’re waiting ?

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

So, what do you do when you really love pizza and cinnamon buns? Make a delicious hybrid of both, of course! I present to you – pepperoni pizza buns.

This may be the ultimate savoury tear and share bun recipe. I knew as soon as I thought of this that it would work wonderfully. Soft and fluffy dough wrapped around a nice homemade pizza sauce, pepperoni, and mozzarella. All you need is a cold beer and dinner is sorted.

I decided to make the dough with a sponge which is a quick preferment. It gives the bread an amazingly soft texture. And the preparation times does not extend because of it, as after adding the rest of the ingredients to the preferment it does start fermenting quite rapidly.

The preferment will make up most of the final dough and since it will be at room temperature it is important to chill down the flour for the main dough to prevent the final dough temperature getting too high. I refrigerated my flour overnight in a bowl covered with clingfilm to prevent it taking on moisture. You can place it in the freezer to get the temperature down quicker.

You can fill the dough with whatever you prefer. But make sure that any sauce that you use is not too runny to avoid making a mess. That is why the sauce I show in the video is cooked for a while to reduce it down and make it nice and thick.

I made my sauce a day ahead of time and kept it in the fridge. You can make your sauce at the same time as the dough to save time. Or you can use store bought sauce, I won’t judge.

This recipe makes 12 decently sized buns, enough for 3 greedy people.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the preferment (sponge) –

100g (3.5oz) strong white bread flour

6g (0.2oz) instant dry yeast or 7.2g (0.25oz) active dry yeast or 18g (0.6oz) fresh yeast

230g (8.1oz) water at around 19C (66F) if your kitchen is around 22 – 24C (72-75F) *

*To learn more about dough temperature control click here.

For the main dough –

300g (10.6oz) strong white bread flour, chilled*

8g (0.28oz) salt

30g (1oz) olive oil

*To learn more about dough temperature when using a preferment click here.

For the sauce –

200g (7oz) good quality tinned tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2g (0.07oz) salt

10g (0.35oz) olive oil

Oregano to taste

Fillings –

200g (7oz) pepperoni, chopped

200g (7oz) mozzarella, grated

More olive oil to brush the buns before baking

Method

1. Make the sauce. In a small pan on medium-high heat cook the chopped garlic in olive oil stirring occasionally for around 2 minutes or until the garlic starts browning. Add the salt, oregano, and tinned tomatoes. Turn the heat down to medium and keep cooking for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Blitz the sauce with a blender and leave to cool down completely. If you do not have a blender, then you can keep it chunky.
2. Make the preferment. In a bowl combine the water, yeast, and flour. Mix well until there are no lumps. Cover and ferment for 45 minutes. The sponge should be light and airy like foam.
3. Add the salt and olive oil to the sponge. Mix it well to dissolve any large salt crystals. Add the flour and mix to a dough.
4. Tip the dough out on your table and knead for around 6 minutes. *Desired dough temperature 25 – 26C (77-79F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly.
5. Ferment for 1 – 1.5 hours or until it doubles in size.
6. Roll the dough out to a large rectangle. Try and make it nice and straight. Spread the sauce over it evenly leaving an edge at the top. Sprinkle on the pepperoni and mozzarella in even layers. Press the fillings into the dough using the palms of your hands.
7. Roll the dough up tight. Brush the top edge with water and seal the roll up.
8. Brush it with olive oil all over. This will make the tearing and sharing experience better by preventing the buns from fusing together.
9. Slice off the end pieces as they are mostly empty. You can bake them separately. Cut the roll into 12 equal pieces.
10. Lay the buns out on a non-stick paper lined tray leaving little gaps between them.
11. Cover and ferment for 1.5 hours. Leave them to puff up properly as this will dictate the final texture. *During the final hour of fermentation preheat your oven to 170C (340F) fan on.
12. Brush the buns lightly with olive oil. Bake for around 25 – 30 minutes.

Enjoy whilst warm and fresh and check out some more of my delicious recipes while you are devouring these buns ?

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.