Bread

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup, agave, or honey
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 3 3/4 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Method

Dissolve 5g of active dry yeast and 1g of caster sugar in 50ml of warm water (around 43°C) and let it sit for 10 minutes. You're looking for a foamy crown on the surface — this visible fermentation tells you the yeast is alive and ready to work. If nothing happens, your yeast is dead and the bread will fail.

Combine the remaining 1.25 litres of water with the yeast slurry, 30ml of maple syrup (or agave or honey), 10g of salt, and 470g of flour in a large bowl. Stir until the flour is fully incorporated — the dough will be shaggy and wet. Switch to hand-kneading in the bowl for about 5 minutes, working the gluten network until the mass becomes slightly smoother and starts to hold together. This dough-development phase is gentler than traditional kneading but effective enough for a straightforward loaf.

Cover the bowl and let the dough bulk-ferment at room temperature for 2 hours. The dough should increase noticeably in volume and show visible bubbles beneath the surface — this is bread-fermentation doing its work, producing both gas and the weak acids that flavour the crumb.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, working it until it becomes elastic and springs back slowly when poked. The gluten strands should feel taut but not rigid. Shape the dough into a round or oval and place it seam-side down in a greased loaf pan or on a baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it proof for 45–60 minutes until the dough rises visibly and springs back slowly (not instantly) when you press it gently.

Preheat the oven to 220°C and place a metal tray on the lowest shelf. Just before baking, score the top of the loaf 2–3 times with a sharp knife, cutting at a 45-degree angle about 12mm deep. This controls where the crust breaks and allows oven-spring — the final gas expansion — to push upward rather than outward. Slide the loaf onto the middle shelf, immediately pour 240ml of hot water into the metal tray below (it will steam violently; move quickly), and close the door. The steam delays crust formation, allowing the dough to expand fully before the exterior hardens.

Bake for 26–35 minutes until the crust is deep golden-brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. The interior continues to set as it cools.