Yeast Loaf

This loaf always comes to the rescue when there’s no time for slow-fermented sourdough bread. It turns out light, fragrant, with a pronounced creamy flavor, and has an amazing ability to disappear incredibly fast. This recipe ensures a loaf that is always ready to impress with its speed and flavor, perfect for those busy days.

Ingredients

• 500 g of wheat flour
• 2 egg yolks, topped up with room temperature water to make 310 g in total
• 2.5 g of dry yeast
• 8 g of salt
• 18 g of softened butter
• 25-30 g of sugar
• A little milk for brushing the loaf

Dough Preparation

• Mix all ingredients except the butter. Knead until smooth (you can use your hands, a food processor, or a dough mixer)
• Gradually add the butter, making sure each addition is fully incorporated into the dough.
• Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. The oil sheen should disappear.
• Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly oiled container, and cover with a lid.
• Ferment the dough in a warm place, around 28°C.
• During the first hour of fermentation, perform two “degas and reshape” sets every 30 minutes.
• The total fermentation time depends on the temperature. After the second stretch and fold, the dough should have doubled in size, which might take about 60-80 minutes.

Pre-shaping and Shaping

• Divide the dough into two parts, round each piece, cover to prevent drying, and rest for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, shape the loaves (see video).
• First, degas the dough to avoid large holes in the finished bread. Stretch the dough into a small sheet by gently patting with fingers or palms. You can use a rolling pin, but be sure to apply gentle pressure to maintain the dough’s airiness. Roll the sheet of dough tightly, turn seam-side down, and seal the seam.
• Place the loaves on a Teflon mat or parchment paper, seam-side down. Cover the loaves to prevent drying and let them proof for 40-60 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C, along with a baking stone. Place a baking tray on the lower rack to which you will add boiling water just before baking to create steam.

Baking

• Score the loaves and leave them uncovered for five minutes. Brush with milk.
• Drop the loaves onto the stone. Pour boiling water into the lower tray and quickly close the oven door.
• Bake with steam at 200°C for 15 minutes. Then, remove the tray with the remaining boiling water, lower the oven temperature to 180°C, and bake for another 40 minutes. If the tops of the loaves start to darken, cover them with foil.
• If your willpower allows, let the baked loaves cool completely on a rack.

Happy Baking!