Versitile plain sandwich bread. This bread works with both savory and sweet ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 500 g bread flour (100%)
  • 150 g of liquid natural yeast (30%)
  • 280 g whole milk (56%)
  • 60 g butter (12%)
  • 30 g sugar (6%)
  • 7.5 g salt (1.5%)

Instructions

Kneading

I recommend starting this preparation in the afternoon or after dinner. Mix flour with natural yeast and slowly add the milk. Add the sugar and keep kneading with the K attachment if using a mixer. Switch to hook attachment and then add the soften butter and lastly salt. The dough should look very pale and smooth.

First fermentation

Let the dough rest at room temperature in a lightly oiled bowl for about 30 minutes. This dough doesn’t really need folds, if you feel like it just give a round of folds in the bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge overnight.

Shaping and second fermentation

Transfer to a floured counter and try to degas as little as possible. Divide the dough in 4 balls and let them rest about 30 minutes. Take one of the balls and degas a little with your whole hand in order to have a oval disc. Fold one side in as a letter and seal with your thumb. Repeat the seal on the other side. You should obtain a  start shaping the baguette. Extend it as rectangular with the smallest side as long as the longest side of the pan (see pic). Roll it. Brush oil or butter in the pan and place it with the closing side below. Cover and let it double in volume.

Baking

Preheat your oven at 180 ºC (350 ºF). Brush generously the surface with milk and bake it for about 40-45 minutes. It should be golden brown with the core at 92 ºC (198 ºF). Once ready take it out of the oven and remove from the pan. Let it cool completely wrapped in a clean and slightly dump kitchen cloth.