Preparation time: 20 minutes; Resting time: 1 hour Makes: about 1.1kg (2.2 pound) dough

Original Recipe: Dough: simple contemporay Bread by Richard Bertinet

Ingredients

• 625g (22oz, 5 cups) white bread flour
• 2½ tablespoons coarse semolina
• 15g fresh yeast or 1¾ teaspoons instant yeast or 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 2½ teaspoons fine salt 
• 1 teaspoon sugar (optional when using instant yeast)
• 6 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil 
• 400g (1½ cups + 3 tablespoons) lukewarm water

Point to note: I have baked this bread at least 30 times. The measurement that works best is 400g water, cup measures can vary by 20-30ml depending on how you fill the cup.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 475ºF (250ºC) ten minutes before using. You can either mix this dough by hand using steps 3 and 4 or mix it in a stand mixer, using step 5. I mixed my dough by hand because I wanted to learn the slap, stretch and fold technique. (I have not yet used a mixer).
2. Yeast Instructions: If you’re using fresh yeast, rub it into the flour until it disappears before adding the salt sugar, olive oil and water. If you are using active dry yeast then please activate it by mixing it with part of the water before using it. If using instant yeast then just sift the flour together with the yeast, salt and semolina then add the water and olive oil. I always use instant yeast.
3. Mixing the dough in a bowl by hand: Sift or whisk the flour, semolina, instant yeast, salt and sugar. Make a well in the centre, then add the olive oil and water into the well. Hold the bowl with one hand and use a plastic dough scraper to mix, 2-3 minutes until a dough starts to form. After about 3 minutes the dough should look like thick sticky porridge. With the help of the rounded end of the scrapper, turn the dough onto the counter. The dough will feel very soft, sticky and moist but do not add more flour and do not flour the counter. (watch Richard Bertinet’s video before working the dough by hand (step 4).
4. Working the dough (kneading) by hand: work the dough by stretching and folding to trap as much air as possible inside. It will be very sticky in the beginning but as you continue stretching and folding, it will come together and feel alive and elastic in your hands. Ideally it should take just 5 minutes to reach elasticity. For a beginner it might take longer (about 8-12 minutes). The final dough should feel soft, light and elastic after the working process is over. Fold the dough into a ball as shown in the video. The dough is now ready to rest. (step 6)
5. Using a mixer with a dough hook: Sift or whisk the flour, semolina, instant yeast, salt and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl and switch the mixer onto the lowest speed and add the olive oil and water and mix for 2 minutes, then turn up the next lowest speed and mix for another 6-7 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic (do not add flour). Remove the dough from the bowl, transfer to a lightly floured surface and form it into a ball as shown in the video. (go to Step 6)
6. Resting the dough: lightly oil the inside of the bowl and put the ball of dough in it. Cover with a lint-free towel or cling film or plastic bag and let the dough rest in a draft free place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. The dough is now ready to make the following: Flatbread, Tomato Garlic and Basil Bread, Focaccia, Ciabatta, Pizza and Pancetta and Olive Bread.
7. For cup measures, spoon the flour into the cup, heaping it up over the top, then slide a knife across the top to level off the extra. Be careful not to shake or tap the cup to settle down the flour or you will have more than you need. I use a 240ml American cup

Points to Note

• Mr. Bertinet highly recommends that the ingredients be weighed, including the water. Use strong bread flour, preferably organic. In Canada all-purpose flour has 13% protein content so I just used the normal all-purpose flour here.
• This kind of dough results in a lighter, more airy and flavourful bread.
• Last Updated: January 8, 2019

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