Restaurants›The Sparrow Bakery Northwest›Pain-rustique - 650g Recipe

Pain-rustique - 650g Recipe

Name: The Sparrow Bakery Northwests Pain-Rustique - 650g Recipe
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 4.25 cups Bread flour (or strong all-purpose flour); 0.75 cups Whole wheat flour; 2.25 cups Water, lukewarm (about 24–27°C / 75–80°F); 1 tsp Active dry yeast; 1.75 tsp Fine sea salt; 1 tbs Olive oil; 0.25 cups All-purpose flour (for dusting / bench flour); 1 tsp Cornmeal or semolina (for dusting baking surface); 2 tbs Water (for light steam spray)

Inspired by The Sparrow Bakery Northwest

Time3h 30m

Serves8

Classic french dough, hand-shaped loaf. Great for soaking up soup or excellent olive oil with a dash of salt. Best consumed within two days of purchase.

Was this page helpful?

Help improve this recipe for others.

Send this recipe to your inbox.

We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.

Ingredients

Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Dough

4 1/4 cups Bread flour (or strong all-purpose flour)3/4 cups Whole wheat flour2 1/4 cups Water, lukewarm (about 24–27°C / 75–80°F)1 tsp Active dry yeast1 3/4 tsp Fine sea salt1 tbs olive oil

Optional for finishing

1/4 cups All-purpose flour (for dusting / bench flour)1 tsp Cornmeal or semolina (for dusting baking surface)2 tbs Water (for light steam spray)

Method

Make and ferment the dough

Activate yeast (if using dry yeast)

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water (from the total) with the active dry yeast and let sit 5–10 minutes until bubbly. If yeast is rapid-rise or pre-mixed with flour, you may skip this step and add yeast directly to the dry ingredients.

Combine dry ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bread flour, whole wheat flour, and fine sea salt so the salt is evenly distributed.

Mix dough

Make a well in the center of the flours. Pour in the activated yeast mixture (or sprinkle dry yeast) and the remaining lukewarm water, and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until a shaggy, slightly sticky dough forms and no large dry patches remain (about 2–3 minutes).

Autolyse and rest

Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rest 20–30 minutes. This hydrates the flour and improves gluten development.

Develop gluten (stretch and fold)

Perform a series of 4 stretch-and-folds over 1.5–2 hours: reach into the bowl, pull one side of the dough up and fold it over the center, rotate 90°, repeat so you fold all four sides. Do this every 20–30 minutes. The dough will become smoother and more elastic.

Bulk fermentation

After the final fold, cover and let the dough rise at room temperature (about 21–24°C / 70–75°F) until roughly doubled in size, about 1 to 1.5 hours. The dough should be airy but not necessarily perfectly doubled.

Shape, proof, and bake

Pre-shape and bench rest

Lightly flour a work surface with the 1/4 cup all-purpose flour. Turn the dough out onto the surface and gently pat into a rectangle. Fold the dough loosely into a round by bringing the edges toward the center to build surface tension. Let rest seam-side down for 15–20 minutes, uncovered.

Final shape (hand-shaped loaf)

After bench rest, cup your hands around the dough and gently rotate to tighten the surface while tucking the edges under to form a rustic oval/oblong loaf about 650 g in weight. Place the seam-side down on a piece of parchment dusted lightly with cornmeal or semolina.

Final proof

Cover the shaped loaf loosely with oiled plastic wrap or a lightly damp towel and let proof at room temperature until noticeably puffy and nearly doubled, about 45–60 minutes. For a slightly more developed flavor, refrigerate the shaped loaf covered for 8–12 hours (cold retard) and bake from chilled; increase bake time slightly if chilled.

Preheat oven and create steam

Place a baking stone or an inverted heavy baking sheet on the middle rack and a metal pan on the rack below. Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F) for at least 30 minutes so the stone is very hot. If you have a Dutch oven, preheat it instead and skip the lower pan.

Score and add steam

Just before baking, use a sharp lame or serrated knife to make one or two shallow slashes (about 1/4–1/2 inch deep) across the top of the loaf to help it expand. Quickly slide the parchment and loaf onto the preheated stone (or place the loaf inside the preheated Dutch oven). Pour the 2 tablespoons of water into the hot lower pan to create steam, and immediately close the oven door. If using a Dutch oven, cover with the lid to trap steam.

Bake

Bake at 230°C (450°F) for 15 minutes with steam (or with the Dutch oven lid on). After 15 minutes, remove the steam pan (or remove the Dutch oven lid), lower oven to 200°C (400°F), and continue baking for another 15–20 minutes until the crust is deep golden-brown and the loaf registers 96–99°C (205–210°F) on an instant-read thermometer at the center.

Cool

Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and cool at least 1 hour before slicing to allow the crumb to set. The crust will crisp further as it cools.

Serving and storage

Serve the Pain-Rustique fresh with soups, or slice and serve with good olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Best consumed within two days for optimal texture and flavor.

To store: keep the loaf in a paper bag or fresh bread bag at room temperature up to 48 hours. For longer storage, slice and freeze in a freezer bag for up to 1 month; reheat slices directly from frozen in a toaster or oven.