Smoked flour bread

• 1 kg T80 flour
• 650 g water
• 5 g fresh baker's yeast
• 18 g salt
• Wood chips for smoking (oak, beech, ash...)

Smoking the flour (3 to 3.5 hours)

1. Put the flour in a large dish. Place wood chips (oak, beech, ash...) on one side of the oven, and the dish on the opposite side from the fire.
2. Light the chips, half-close the chimney and the air vents in the door. Leave to smoke for 3 to 3.5 hours.

The day before — Autolyse

1. Mix the water and the smoked flour by hand until you have an even dough. Cover with cling film pressed onto the surface and leave to rest overnight at room temperature.

The same day — Kneading and shaping

1. Reactivate the yeast with a few drops of water. Work it into the dough, add the salt and knead. Knead for 3 to 4 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Leave to rise for 30 minutes.
2. Shape the loaf by stretching and folding the dough several times. Place in a floured proving basket and leave to rise for 2 hours at 25°C.

Baking in the Maximus oven

1. Bring the oven up to 350°C, then let it drop to 270°C. Close the air vents.
2. Turn the dough out onto a peel and score the loaf. Slide it directly onto the oven floor. Pour a bowl of water onto the oven floor to create steam.
3. Bake for about 30 minutes. The bread is ready when it sounds hollow when you tap it.