Homebaked bread to nourish the stomach and soul

I’ve always hankered after the idea of making my own bread with the yearned for idea of that scrummy freshly baked bread smell wafting lovingly through the house. But after many failed attempts, where, although the aroma was there, my bread was as dense as a household brick, I gave up, feeling this was way beyond my meagre domestic talents.

But today all that changed! I can now make bread, thanks to a work colleague of Gray’s letting us in on the secret of the easiest bread recipe ever currently taking Switzerland by storm.

Well, actually, Gray first experienced this amazing process a couple of years ago on a Dad’s and Kids trip to Ticino. One of the dads whipped it up in a jiffy, with no kneading required. (However, it is a slow process, proving overnight, and then two hours for the second prove the next day - but effort wise it’s a sinch) It really is idiot-proof. Ha, although I guess I must mention that it did go a little wrong when Gray first made it because he didn’t use enough flour in the process and poured the final dough into a cold instead of a hot pan and it just stuck. But I’m pretty sure you won’t make the same mistake :) It really is a cracker, as recipes go.

Here’s the magic recipe:

130g Dunkelmehl

 300g Weissmehl

 350ml water

 1/4 tsp of yeast

 1 & 1/2 tsp salt

Simply mix the ingredients together into a damp dough and leave to stand overnight in a covered bowl.

The next day pour the dough out of the bowl onto a heavily floured surface and fold in the corners to make a round shape, turn it over in your (heavily floured) hands and place on a clean tea towel. Cover and let it rise for two hours. Then pour it into a heated cast iron pot.

Bake at 250C with lid for 30 minutes, then brown without lid for 10-15 minutes. And there you have it – a crunchy crust, airy crumb, and the simplest recipe in the world.

It doesn't look too promising at this stage, before the first prove but don't lose heart!

Looking much better now :)

Eh voila!