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Cast Iron Medieval Boule (Rustic Round Loaf)

Old world style round loaf made in your cast iron!
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Course: Bread
Keyword: baked, boule, bread, cast iron, medieval, mountain bread, round loaf, white loaf
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Resting Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4-6 cups Bread flour or All Purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp Vegetable oil or Coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp Liquid sweetener of choice I used Honey
  • 1 tbsp Milk powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp Instant yeast
  • 2 cups Filtered water, lukewarm approx. 110F
  • 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt reduce to 1 tsp if using Pink salt

Instructions

  • In a large shallow glass bowl, add lukewarm water, instant yeast, liquid sweetener, milk powder, neutral oil and salt. *
  • Add in your flour and begin to mix using the handle end of a wooden spoon, until just combined, The wooden handle acts as a makeshift dough hook and helps to homogenize the ingredients in a similar fashion.
  • Once the dough starts to come together, dump onto a floured surface and gently knead a few times while creating a rough round shape. If your bowl is nice and big like mine, you can do it right in the bowl as shown.
  • Add oil to the same glass bowl you first used and add the dough ball back in. You'll want to make sure to cover the whole thing with a nice coating of the oil.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and/or a lint-free towel (I like to use both). Allow to rest for approx. 20 min.
  • After resting, remove the cover and use the same handle-end of your wooden spoon to pull, de-gas and stretch the dough. You'll do this by sticking your handle-end right into the center of the dough and twisting. This releases excess gases and makes it easier to work with the dough for shaping in the next step!
  • Dump your dough ball into a greased and floured cast iron skillet. I like to use Brown Rice Flour for that bakery-style finish but you can also use regular flour or even cornmeal!
    Next, you'll want to score your dough diagonally with a sharp knife or bread razor.
  • Let your dough ball rest in the cast iron skillet for about 10 min (or until your oven has pre-heated). Preheat your oven to 400F and bake for approx 40-50 min.
    You'll know your Medieval Loaf is done when the top is nicely browned and it sounds hollow when tapped on.
  • Let your beautiful and rustic loaf cool for about 15 min (or as long as you can stand it!)
    For optimal results: Allow your loaf to cool completely before slicing, as it helps the steam escape slowly instead of all at once. This method helps develop the structure of the gluten, which produces the best possible final crumb (texture).

Notes

*If you start with a warm bowl as well, it's even better! But, not totally necessary. Sometimes I do it, sometimes I don't but I do notice the dough comes together much easier when the bowl is slightly warm. I achieve this by filling the bowl with warm water, letting it sit for a couple of minutes and then empty out the water. Now your warm bowl is ready to make bread dough!