Bread in A Casserole Dish: Two Ways

Here’s two easy loaves to make with either conventional dried yeast or a combination of yeast and sourdough discard (unfed starter). I found myself with a surplus of starter lately so that’s there as an option if you’re in the same position. The first recipe is a fool-proof one I got from a (sadly closed) bakery called Backhaus & Co in 2018, which used to be based in Coventry and run baking workshops.

Both recipes work great baked in a casserole dish, which gives a bigger rise while the crust remains soft. You can line your casserole dish with baking parchment which will stop it sticking.

RECIPE 1 (conventional loaf)

Ingredients:

• 550g flour
• 375g warm water
• 9g yeast
• 5g salt

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Leave to rest for 30 mins.
3. Knead for 10 minutes.
4. Leave to rest for 1 hour.
5. Fold dough in on itself to shape, and leave on worktop or in a bowl for 1 hour.
6. Around 20 minutes before you want to put your bread into the oven, pop your casserole into the oven and preheat it to around 220C.
7. Carefully take your casserole dish out of the oven and remove the lid. Use the baking paper to gently place your dough inside the pot and put the lid back on.
8. Bake in the oven, with the lid on for 30 minutes at 220C. Then remove the lid of the pot and bake for a further 5-10 minutes at 200C. Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
9. Try to let it cool for at least an hour before cutting it. It will still taste great if you cut it hot, but it’s so much easier to cut if you let it cool down.

RECIPE 2 (to use up sourdough discard)

Ingredients:

• 450g flour
• 360g warm water
• 10g salt
• 7g yeast
• 100 g sourdough discard/unfed sourdough starter

Method:

1. Take a clean bowl and add your flour, warm water, instant yeast, salt and sourdough discard.
2. Use a wooden spoon or stand mixer to gently bring all the ingredients together into. You don’t need to it be fully smooth, just ensure that all of the flour is wet.
3. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or fabric food wrap and set it somewhere warm for 1 – 2 hours. It depends on the temperature of your house. If your house is warm, 1 hour will be plenty. In the depths of winter you may need more than 2 hours. You just want it to double in size so it will rise in the oven.
4. Around 20 minutes before you want to put your bread into the oven, pop your casserole into the oven and preheat it to around 220C.

5. Once the dough has doubled in size, take a piece of parchment paper and lay it out on your worktop. Sprinkle on a few tablespoons of flour (this is just so that the dough doesn’t stick to your hands).

   NOTE – If you are wanting to put your bread in the refrigerator to bake another time (usually within 24 hours) then just pop the cling film over the bowl of doubled dough and put in the fridge. You don’t need to do anything to the dough before it goes in.

6. Scoop your dough out with your hands – if it’s particularly wet it’s perfectly fine to pour it onto the paper.

   If it’s not too wet, use the flour and your finger tips to gently bring it into a round shape – you will need to fold each side over each other to do this. If your dough is too wet – don’t fret, just try and bring it into some kind of shape without getting too messy.
7. Score your dough with a blade if you’re able to – otherwise just leave it and it will open up naturally in the oven.
8. Carefully take your casserole dish out of the oven and remove the lid. Use the baking paper to gently place your dough inside the pot and put the lid back on.
9. Bake in the oven, with the lid on for 30 minutes at 220C. Then remove the lid of the pot and bake for a further 5-10 minutes at 200C. Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
10. Try to let it cool for at least an hour before cutting it. It will still taste great if you cut it hot, but it’s so much easier to cut if you let it cool down.