Recipe: Five-Minute Artisan Bread

It is exciting to observe the fermentation process, forming air pockets of irregular sizes.  The best part is doing the scoring.  Like a piece of art, I love scoring the dough and decorate it with patterns... the transforming results always amuse me!

To me, fermentation of 10-14 days gives the best flavour and has the perfect crunchy crust when baked for 45 minutes.


Five-Minute Artisan Bread 

Dough can be shaped to boule ,baguette, bâtard, ciabatta, couronne, sandwich loaf, pullman sandwich loaf and dinner rolls.

Sources:
https://artisanbreadinfive.com/
https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2013/10/22/the-new-artisan-bread-in-five-minutes-a-day-is-launched-back-to-basics-updated/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIb8fC9BdWs&t=125s

29 Dec 2006 https://youtu.be/13Ah9ES2yTU
https://youtu.be/Fk7rSEHnxFM

by Jim Lahey
by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François

Ingredients:

• 300g/3 cups lukewarm water to use 300g 
• 0.5g/1 tbsp granulated yeast to use 0.65g instant yeast 1/8 tsp (more if you can't wait)
• 8g/1 tbsp kosher salt  to use 1 tsp salt
• 400g/6-1/2 cups unbleached flour to use 400g unbleached plain flour 10.9% protein (or bread flour)

optional ingredients:

• olive oil/butter
• honey/sugar
• herbs/spices
• dried fruits/seeds/nuts (during folding or/and on dough top)

Steps:

1. Into a container, mix water, yeast and salt.
2. Add flour, mix until no dry patches.
3. Cover loosely, rest at room temperature until double in volume. *For more flavour and bigger air pockets, ferment it longer. Dough can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks. 
4. Scrape dough to a heavily dusted baking paper.
5. Optional shaping. Stretch a little, lightly dust the dough, fold 1/3. Turn 90 degree, stretch a little, lightly dust, fold 1/3. Gather sides and pinch to seal. Sealed side down. 
6. Place it on a baking sheet.
7. Rest 2 hours, uncover *for bigger air pockets, rest on warmer place up to 38C.
8. Into the oven, place an empty metal pan/tray on a lower rack. Preheat oven to 230C for minimum 15 minutes.
9. Dust the dough, score 1/4" deep cuts.
10. Pour one cup of hot water into the empty pan/tray. Bake at middle rack for 40-45 minutes. *mine best at 45 minutes
11. Transfer to wire rack.

Notes: 

• Step 8: May use dutch oven, cast iron skillet or baking stone. Preheat on the middle rack. For dutch oven, bake 20 minutes lid-on, 15-20 minutes lid-off.

1/2-Portion Trial 1*Prepared on 18/6 Baked on 20/6:
Room temp 17-21C fermented until double (12h), refrigerated 34h *volume remained during refrigeration.
0.35g yeast, 1/2 tsp salt, 200g unbleached plain flour. Fold, shape, rest 2h, bake.

175g room temperature water: Use more flour and more folding to shape. Flattened quite a bit while resting. Has bigger air pockets.
130g room temperature water: Easy to handle. Hold the shape well while resting.

Bottom: 175g water, flatter and with bigger air pockets.

1/2-Portion Trial 2 *Prepared on 23/6 Baked on 25/6 :
Room temp 17-21C fermented for 46 hours *volume remained, not rising higher after doubling (12h).
0.35g yeast, 1/2 tsp salt, room temperature water 150g. Fold, shape, rest 2h, bake.

200g unbleached plain flour 10.9% protein Vs 200g bleached bread flour 12.5% protein

• Without refrigeration, both were easy to handle and hold the shape well while resting.
• Comparing to trial 1, both have bigger air pockets.
• Plain flour produced slightly bigger air pockets. Just a little chewier with bread flour, hardly noticeable. 

1/2-Portion Trial 3A *Prepared on 25/6 Baked on 5/7 :
Room temp 17-21C fermented for 21 hours *volume remained, not rising higher after doubling (12h).
refrigerated till 5/7 *shrunk to 1.5
Bread four, 0.35g yeast, 1/2 tsp salt, room temperature water 150g. Fold, shape, rest 2h, bake.

*10 days fermentation: more flavourful, bigger air pockets, darker colour


1/2-Portion Trial 4 *Prepared on 4/7 Baked on 5/7 :
Room temp 17-21C fermented for 25 hours *rose more than double after 12h, highest around 2.5-3.
Bread flour, 0.65g (1/8 tsp) yeast, 1 tsp salt (overdosed), warm water 150g. Fold, shape, rest 2h.

1/2-Portion Trial 3B *Prepared on 25/6 Baked on 9/7 :
Room temp 17-21C fermented for 21 hours *volume remained, not rising higher after doubling (12h).
refrigerated till 9/7 *shrunk to 1.5
Bread four, 0.35g yeast, 1/2 tsp salt, room temperature water 150g. Fold, shape, rest 2h, bake.

*14 days fermentation: similar to Trial 3A: more flavourful, bigger air pockets, darker colour

1/2-Portion Trial 5 *Prepared on 13/7 Baked on 15/7 :
Room temp 18-21C fermented for 48 hours *rose more than 2.5 times, then shrunk gradually.
200g Plain flour, 0.35g yeast, 1/2 tsp salt, warm water 150g. Fold, shape, rest 2h in preheated oven around 30C, bake.

• Dough flattened quite a bit during resting.
• Has bigger air pockets.

1/2-Portion Trial 6 *Prepared on 12/7 Baked on 24/7 :
Room temp 18-20C fermented for 46 hours *rose more than 2.5 times, then shrunk gradually.
200g Plain flour Vs Bread Flour, 0.35g yeast, 1/2 tsp himalayan salt, warm water 150g.

Refrigerated till 24/7 *shrunk to double. Remove from fridge, rest 2h at room temperature.

Fold, shape, rest 2h in preheated oven around 30C, bake.

*12 days fermentation:

• Dough flattened quite a bit during resting.
• Has bigger air pockets.
• More flavourful.
• Not much difference between himalayan salt and table salt.
• Bread flour is slightly chewier.