Breadwinner

How to complete Breadwinner

Bread has four ingredients and no shortcuts, which is the whole appeal: you learn what dough should feel like, and the smell alone repays the afternoon. A first honest loaf, dense spots and all, still beats most supermarket bread.

1. Start with a no-knead formula: 500g flour, 350g water, 10g salt, 3g instant yeast, mixed until no dry flour remains.
2. Cover and let it rise 2 to 3 hours at room temperature until doubled, or overnight in the fridge for better flavor.
3. Shape it into a ball on a floured surface with a few folds, then rest it 30 to 45 minutes.
4. Bake at 230C in a preheated Dutch oven or on a tray with a pan of water below: 30 minutes covered, then 15 uncovered until deep brown.
5. Wait a full hour before slicing; the crumb is still setting inside.

Tips

• Weigh ingredients with a kitchen scale; cup measurements are why first loaves fail.
• Bake darker than feels safe, since a pale crust usually means an underbaked loaf.
• If it comes out dense, the rise was too short or the yeast was dead; test yeast in warm water next time.

What counts as done

A loaf you mixed, fermented, shaped, and baked yourself, cooled and sliced open.