Semi-wholemeal bread
Professional braids – A three-strand braid is very simple to make, but underestimating the shape of a bread is never a good idea. Rule number one: avoid tightening it too much, a braid must be soft to leave space for the individual garments to grow during the leavening. Rule number two: if you have time (it’s an extra minute, so you have it), pre-form the dough you need for the rolls. Cut the three pieces, spread them one at a time at best – pouf, pouf, pouf … a few taps of fingertips, here and there – and roll them up, without stretching them. When you have finished, repeat the operation respecting the working order, but this time roll them in the direction perpendicular to the previous one (i.e. arrange the roll longitudinally in front of you), and continue until you have reached the length you need.
Difficulty: easy
Time: 45 min
Type of Cooking: Baked
Doses for: 4
Ingredients for Semi-wholemeal bread
- 200 g of Manitoba flour
- 150 g of durum wheat flour
- 150 g of whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon of fine salt
- 280 ml of water
- 2 tablespoons of barley malt
- 25 g of fresh brewer’s yeast
- 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil (or butter) per bowl For a 10x20cm box mold
Preparation
1. Put the flour and salt in a large bowl, and mix with a hand whisk.
2. Measure the slightly lukewarm water in a graduated jug, add the malt, the crumbled yeast, three tablespoons of the flour mix, and mix until the yeast and malt are dissolved. Leave to rest for 10-15 minutes, until a compact foam has formed and everything has almost doubled in volume (understood why the graduated jug?).
3. Pour the yeast into the flour bowl, stir with the spoon until you can, then help yourself with the hand to collect any residuals of the ingredients.
When the whole is together in one piece, transfer it to the work surface and knead it giving it 10-12 twists (it is less than 10 minutes).
4. Put the dough back into the bowl clean and greased with a little oil, sealed with plastic wrap and let it rise until it doubles in volume (it will take you an hour, an hour and a half). In the meantime, coat the parchment paper mold.
5. When the dough is ready, gently deflate it, transfer it to the work surface (no flour!) And divide it into three pieces. Make three rolls of about 30 cm and form a braid, sealing the ends well.
6. Put it in the mold, put everything in a cellophane bag tightly closed at the ends, and let it rise until it doubles again in volume. Being the second leavening, it will take less – even the doughs, by dint of training, improve their performance … – therefore calculate 40-50 minutes. In the meantime, switch the oven on at 220 ° C.
7. When the braid has just passed the edge of the mold, bake it for 40-45 minutes. If you like crunchy crust, remove it from the mold after the first 30 minutes and continue cooking by placing it directly on the oven grill. Recipe taken from The Sunday baker – Sabrine d’Aubergine – Guido Tommasi – 352pp. – € 35