Unfermented Bread
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the dough
In a basin, mix 1 pound of flour with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of coarse sea salt.
Add enough water to form a light, firm dough (about ½ pint).
Sprinkle flour on a board and turn the dough out onto it, keeping your hands floured to prevent sticking.
Knead the dough quickly and shape it into small loaves.
Bake and cool
Place the loaves on a floured baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 30 minutes.
To check if the bread is done, insert a clean knife; if it comes out clean, the bread is ready.
Remove the bread from the oven and stand each loaf on its side to cool.
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 structure of the dough as its proteins and starches set during baking.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the dough, helping the loaves rise and become light.
- Water
- Hydrates the flour so that it binds into a dough.
The step that matters
Kneading the dough quickly. Overworking a dough made with baking powder develops gluten and makes it tough, while the leavening acts quickly, so a brief knead keeps the loaves light and tender.
“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.
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