It will keep fresh for a day or so and thereafter can be used to make very good toast. Saffron bread flour from Norfolk Saffron makes a stunning loaf but a good white bread flour also works very well.
It’s a miracle because it is so easy to make and there is minimal kneading necessary. As its name implies, you can leave it overnight to rise, or you can make an early start and it can be ready in the evening. It’s up to you.
For one large loaf
500g good strong white bread flour or saffron bread flour plus some extra for kneading and dusting
2 tsp sea salt flakes
1 tsp instant dried yeast (Doves Farm Quick Yeast is good)
350mls lukewarm water
2 tbsps of extra virgin olive oil plus a little extra for greasing the bowl
A pinch of sea salt flakes for the top of the loaf
A few rosemary sprigs if you like
You will also need some baking parchment and a sturdy baking tray.
- Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the salt and yeast.
- Stir everything together using your hands or a sturdy spoon or fork.
- Add the water and one tablespoon of the olive oil and mix until a soft, damp, dough is formed.
- Tip the dough onto a floured work surface and shape it, by kneading lightly, into a circular loaf shape. It doesn’t need to be perfect.
- Wash and dry the mixing bowl and rub it with a small amount of olive oil. (You will be glad you have done this as not only does it make the job of removing the dough after the first rise easy, but it also makes washing the bowl easy too.) Put the dough back into the bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel.
- Leave in a draft free place for 10 to 12 hours – overnight works well or if you start early in the morning it could be finished in the evening.
- The dough will rise in this time so, when it is ready, tip it onto a floured work surface or board and adjust the shape by lightly kneading to produce a circular shape about 23cm in diameter, with a smooth top. Place it on a baking tray.
- Place the dough on a baking tray on a piece of baking parchment and cover with a damp tea towel.
- After half an hour, preheat the oven to its highest setting (probably 240c).
- After a further half an hour, one whole hour in total, use the end of a wooden spoon to make deep indentations (“focaccia style”) all over the surface of the dough, sprinkle with a tablespoon of the olive oil and the sea salt flakes and stick a few sprigs of rosemary (if you like) in the top.
- Bake the bread in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes. It should be golden brown on top.
See also: – Miracle Overnight Bread – Miracle Overnight Rolls – Soda Bread
If you want a healthier and more environmentally friendly diet, a good start would be to cook from scratch, avoid buying ready-processed meals, and so avoid foods with a high sugar and salt content. Have a look at food labels, you will likely be amazed by how much salt and sugar is included and, worse, how many of the ingredients are not recognisable as food.
Sherbhert champions delicious, healthy and sustainable food where its production minimises environmental damage, exploitation, animal suffering and subsequent processing. Sherbhert’s recipes are simple and use mainly UK seasonal produce sourced as locally as possible.
Sherbhert occasionally recommends suppliers entirely because of their good produce and ethos.
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