Maximus wood-fired bread

Baked bread

Bread is a true institution in our country. Whether in a round loaf, a baguette, or a loaf, it accompanies almost every meal, regardless of the season. With a barbecue or a beef bourguignon, it's an essential element. Friends of the Maximus wood-fired oven , today you'll learn how to make delicious bread using only four ingredients. Please note: for a successful loaf, allow two days.

THE RECIPE IN VIDEO

INGREDIENTS

2kg of bread flour
1.3 kg of water
36g of salt
12g of fresh baker's yeast

Breads	Cooking
5 loaves of bread, approximately 500g each	35 minutes

RECIPE PREPARATION

Day 1
Today, you're going to knead your dough, either with a mixer or by hand, whichever you prefer. First, we'll perform autolyse* to save kneading time. In the bowl of your mixer or in a mixing bowl, pour the flour and water.
Mix for 5 minutes, by hand or with a dough hook at low speed.
Let your mixture rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature.
After the resting time, you will proceed to kneading. Add the yeast and salt to the bowl.
Knead for 15 to 20 minutes at low speed or by hand.
At the end of kneading, check your gluten network*. To do this, take a small piece of dough and stretch it to form a membrane. If it tears, the gluten network is insufficient; continue kneading for a few minutes. If the piece forms a good membrane, let your dough rest for 30 minutes at room temperature to allow the yeast to begin activating.
After 30 minutes of resting, you can divide your dough into pieces, ideally of the same weight to ensure even baking times. We recommend making balls of 500g to 750g. Next, it's time to shape your bread. For this first recipe, we'll be making balls. When shaping your bread, avoid using too much flour on your work surface, otherwise your dough will slip. Instead, flour the palm of your hand.
Take a piece of dough and place the smoothest side down on the work surface.
Bring the sides towards the center of the dough to form a sort of purse.
Turn your piece of dough over, then place your hands on each side, forming a circle.
Make circular movements with your hands to form a nice ball with the dough.
After making all your balls, arrange them on a tray or rack covered with a linen cloth or a tea towel.
Lightly flour the tops of the balls before covering with another cloth or folding the linen cloth over them.
Let it rise* for about 1 hour. After 1 hour of resting, you can place your balls in the fridge and leave them overnight.
Day 2
This is the big day! You're going to bake and enjoy your wood-fired bread. Start by lighting your oven about an hour before baking so it has time to reach over 300°C (572°F). Place your fire in the center to properly heat the oven floor.
When the oven is nice and hot, move the embers to the side and continue to feed them to maintain a temperature between 270 and 300°C.
When the oven is at the right temperature, place an empty earthenware dish in the oven so that it heats up.
While the dish is heating, you will score your bread. With a razor blade, make incisions about 1 cm deep in your bread to allow for good evaporation of water and promote even cooking. You can make a cross on smaller loaves and a grid pattern on larger loaves.
You can now put your loaves in the oven.
Pour hot water into the earthenware dish to create steam in the oven; this will give you a shiny, golden-brown loaf of bread.
Close the oven.
After about 35 minutes of baking, your loaves are ready to be removed from the oven. To check if they're done, tap them; if they sound hollow, they're ready! All that's left to do is let them cool for a few moments before tasting them. Our tip? Try pairing them with our recipe for smoked pork tenderloin cooked in a Maximus wood-fired oven — it's delicious!