Bread
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the dough
In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, and salt.
Add warm water gradually to form a dough and knead until smooth. Ensure all flour is incorporated from the sides of the bowl.
Cover and let rise in a warm place overnight.
Shape and bake
In the morning, dissolve baking soda in a little warm water and knead into the dough.
Divide the dough into two loaves and place in a baking pan.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for about 45 minutes.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Forms the gluten network that gives the dough its structure and chew.
- Yeast
- Produces gas during the overnight rise, leavening the dough and giving it an airy crumb.
- Salt
- Controls yeast activity and strengthens the gluten for better flavor and texture.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with acidity in the dough to add extra lift and promote browning.
The step that matters
Kneading in the baking soda. Baking soda must be fully dissolved and evenly worked through the dough. Clumps can leave bitter, soapy pockets and uneven rise, because it only leavens when it reacts with an acid.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More bread recipes
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 recipes
Chicken Broth257 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.