The original of this recipe as far as I've been able to track it is to be found at
but it's been through a change or two on the way here. My original recipe did not specify a baking temperature, so I settled on 210C with my fingers crossed. The original used 230-250C but I am well satisfied with my version.
If you're researching this subject, check out the Doris Grant recipe, the Ballymaloe Brown Bread recipe, and the King Alfred Flour no-knead recipe. They all have a family likeness which may stimulate you to experiment a little for yourself, and they have each contributed something to my breadmaking style.
You will need
Large mixing bowl
Plastic container with lid
A dutch oven or cast iron saucepan (or suitable pottery casserole)
1 cotton tea towel
Coarse cornmeal/sesame seed/sunflower seed/rolled oats
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Flour: Three cups. (see below)
Yeast: For a full flavoured slow-fermenting bread, use 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon, and ferment over 20 hours or so - a bit less in summer, more in winter. For a shorter fermenting time, e.g., overnight, or if the weather is becoming colder, you can increase the yeast component to 1 or 1.5 or even 2 teaspoons, with a slight loss of flavour development. I use active dried yeast granules by themselves, without any chemical "enhancers".
Salt: 2 teaspoons
Either: Warm water: 1.5 cups
OR: Warm water: 1 cup and kefir or plain unsweetened yoghurt 1 cup (Using kefir or yoghurt produces a softer crumb)
Molasses: 1-2 teaspoons (optional - for added flavour)
Method
Combine flour, yeast, salt, (molasses,) and liquid in mixing bowl until just mixed - a little like preparing a scone dough.
Fermenting time:
For minimal yeast and maximal natural flavour, ferment the dough for about 20 hours. I have found the best way to ferment the bread over a prolonged rising is to place the dough in a 5 or 6 litre lidded plastic container. This keeps out visiting insects etc and prevents the surface of the bread from drying out.
In summer, this container sits on the kitchen bench overnight. In winter, it is placed beside the dying fire in the lounge for a bit of extra warmth.
For overnight rising increase the yeast to 1-2 teaspoonfuls, and ferment in the plastic container as described above. The addition of a little molasses will provide a useful flavour variant, and decrease rising time.
Turn out onto a well-floured surface - use a rubber spatula to cleanly remove the risen dough- and coat with flour to cope with the slight stickiness, and lightly shape it into a long loaf 3 parts by length and one by width. Fold one end third back towards the other end and the other end third is folded over that. Handle lightly. We are not knocking the bread down or kneading it.
Place dough on a teatowel dusted with coarse cornmeal or sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds or rolled oats.
Fold the teatowel around the loaf while it rises for an hour or so. In summer, you can begin heating the dutch oven immediately. In winter, wait for 30 minutes or so to give the dough a little extra rising beforehand.
Preheat oven and cast iron pot to 210C. Remember to oil the inside of the pot first with a teaspoon or so of oil and a paper towel.
Remove heated dutch oven or lidded casserole from oven and place on a board. Carefully lift risen loaf on its towel and gently tip it into the dutch oven, cornmeal side up. Tidy around the edges with a knife if any has stuck to the side - you get better at tipping it with practice. Place lid on saucepan, return it to the oven and cook with the lid on for 30 minutes. Sweep spilled cornmeal from the floor. Place tea towel in laundry.
Remove lid and cook for another 15 minutes with lid off. If you are using molasses, you may find the bottom and perimeter crust becomes rather more black than you like as the sugar caramelises. If it does, reduce cooking time by a few minutes next time.
Run a knife around the outside if necessary to loosen the loaf and turn it out onto a rack to dry. Check that the underside sounds hollow when tapped, but I've never had a problem. Allow to cool before sampling.
Flour
Lots of fun to be had here. You can start with a standard three cups of Hi-Grade flour. (Hi grade flour contains extra gluten - generally used for bread and fruitcakes - where plain flour is used for biscuits and cakes. Don't know for sure but I imagine it is the same as the "bread flour" specified in some overseas recipes.) From here on it's all yours.
- You can substitute a cup of wholemeal for one of the cups of hi-grade flour.
- You can use half and half rye and wholemeal for the third cup - with a teaspoon of lightly bruised caraway seeds.
- You can use atta (or chapatti) flour instead of wholemeal. (Atta is a whole wheat flour, sometimes blended with a little barley flour, very finely ground, and used to make chapatis. You can get it at an Indian grocery shop for about the same price as wholemeal flour. Website opinion varies but there is a suggestion that atta is lower in gluten, so you may wish to add a teaspoon or so of gluten flour to get the slightly open-pored crumb that you want.
...and so forth
Yeast
Modern yeast varieties do not need sugar to do their stuff. There's plenty of food for the yeast in the flour. The longer the yeast has to work, the more pronounced the flavour that results, so starting with a small amount of yeast and leaving for 18- 24 hours is fine. You can also use a larger amount - 1.5 teaspoonfuls, say - and leave the dough overnight for baking next morning
