Bloomer bread. The loaf gets its name from the way it rises and ‘blooms’ like a flower in the oven
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients:
- 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp dried yeast
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 320 ml water
Method:
Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl and add salt to one side and yeast to another side. Add oil and 240 ml of water, use the fingers of one hand to mix the ingredients together.
Add the remaining water a little at a time until you have soft, sticky dough and all the flour is incorporated. You may not need all the water.
Oil the surface, tip the dough onto the oil and knead for the dough, continue kneading for 10 minutes.
The dough will be less sticky and feel smooth and silky when ready.
Put the dough in into lightly oiled bowl cover with clingfilm until doubled in size. This will take 1 to 3 hours.
Once the dough has risen, tip onto a lightly floured surface knocks back the dough by pushing out the air with the knuckles and heels of your hands. Do this until the dough is smooth.
Flatten the dough into a rectangle with the long side facing you.
Fold the long side further away from you into the middle of the rectangle.
Fold the long side nearest you into the middle on top of the other fold.
Turn the loaf wider to the middle a roughly oval shape. Gently roll the loaf back and forth to form a bloomer shape.
Place the bloomer on the baking tray and put the inside of a clean plastic bag make sure it won’t touch the plastic as it rises leave to prove until double in size.
Preheat oven to 200C place on a roasting tray on the bottom shelf of the oven to heat up.
Once the loaf has risen spray with water dust with a handful of flour and rub it over the loaf.
Score 4 diagonal slashes across the loaf 2-3cm deep.
Just before baking you need to pour a little water in a roasting tray this will create steam while the loaf is cooking and give the bread a crispy crust. Place the loaf on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Leave to cool in the wire rack.
Prepared, tried, and tested by: AllJoy