Pain de Campagne
This French country bread is a rustic loaf, typically a large round loaf. The technique below involves making a sponge first, which contributes a depth of flavor to the bread. Misting the bread once in the oven is a great technique for home bakers to achieve that hard, crackly crust so typical of good French bread.
Ingredients
Sponge
- 1 C (237 ml) water, 80–100°F (27–38°C)
- ½ tsp (1.6 g) active dry yeast
- 1¼ C (156 g) unbleached bread flour
- ¼ C (33 g) whole wheat flour
Dough
- 1 C (237 ml) warm water, 105–115°F (41–46°C)
- ¾ tsp (2.4 g) active dry yeast
- 1 Tbsp (12 g) sugar
- 1½ tsp (7.5 g) salt
- 3¾–4 C (468–500 g) unbleached bread flour, additional for dusting
Directions
Sponge
Place sponge ingredients in a large bowl and stir to make a thick, wet mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature (65–75°F/18–24°C) at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Dough
Pour water over sponge. Sprinkle yeast, sugar, salt and all but ¾ C (150 g) of the flour over sponge. Mix gently with your hands until flour is just incorporated (dough will be a little crumbly). Let dough rest 10 minutes before transferring to a floured work surface. Knead for 10 minutes, adding flour so dough doesn’t stick—but only as much as necessary; dough should be soft and a little sticky. After 8 minutes, dough will become smoother and more elastic. Transfer to a large greased bowl; cover with clean kitchen towel; let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1–2 hours.
Transfer dough to a floured work surface. Divide in half; form each piece into round loaf. Transfer seam side down to a baking sheet dusted with flour. Stack baking sheet on top of another baking sheet to keep bread from burning on the bottom. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature for about 1 hour, or until puffy and 50% larger.
Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C). Using a very sharp knife, slash shallow crosshatching into top of loaves; dust lightly with flour. Place baking sheets on middle rack of oven. Using a mister, spray water into bottom of oven to create steam, repeating every 5 minutes for the first 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 400°F (204°C) and continue baking until bread is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat; cool on a wire rack.
- Prep time: 40 minutes.
- Cook time: 35 minutes.
- Makes 12–14 servings.
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