White wheat bread – crispy and fluffy

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 600 g wheat flour type 550 or type 00
• 5 g yeast, fresh
• 2 tsp salt
• 460 ml water, lukewarm
• 1 pinch of ascorbic acid, optional
• Flour for the work surface

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 10 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes; Total time approx. 11 hours 40 minutes

Mix the flour with the salt (possibly with a pinch of ascorbic acid, which improves baking results, but is not absolutely necessary). Dissolve the fresh yeast, which should ideally be stable for at least two weeks, in the lukewarm water. Mix the flour and dissolved yeast in a sufficiently large bowl (the dough will quadruple in volume, so choose a very large bowl!) until no flour pockets remain. Cover the bowl as airtight as possible (e.g., with plastic wrap) and let stand at room temperature for about 10 hours. This can be done overnight or during work. Preheat the oven to 230°C (top/bottom heat). Line a baking dish or pan with baking paper. A pot with a lid is best (both ovenproof, e.g., porcelain). Knead the dough a few times on a well-floured work surface and roughly shape it. The dough will not hold up to proper shape. Pour the dough into the baking dish, sprinkle half a handful of flour on top, and put the lid on. Bake in the hot oven for 60 minutes. Then remove the lid (if the bread touches the lid, the baking dish was too small). Bake uncovered at the same temperature for another 10 minutes. Then turn the bread over, carefully remove the baking paper, and bake uncovered at the same temperature for another 10 minutes. Let the bread cool, then slice. Best eaten immediately. Any leftovers should be frozen immediately. They can be reheated later in the toaster oven and will taste just like they’ve just come out of the oven.