Country-style crusty bread

Time
90 minutes
Dough proving

Difficulty
Medium

Servings
Serves 10

Chef’s Tip
Hard herbs like thyme, rosemary or sage chopped roughly and mixed through the dough for the last couple of minutes in the mixer will give this bread a beautiful aroma.
Reheat in the oven to freshen up for the next couple of days.
Ingredients
1800g strong, unbleached flour
200g strong, whole meal flour
1 tablespoon instant dried yeast
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
650ml lukewarm water
To Serve
Butter or olive oil
Steps
1.
Cooking this delicious crusty bread couldn’t be easier with the AEG ProCombi Steam oven. Heat is transferred to the bread at a much higher rate and instead of drying it out, the steam actually keeps it moist.
2.
Using an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix and knead all the ingredients on the lowest speed for 10-15 minutes, until the dough is smooth but not sticky.
3.
Turn the dough out into a lightly oiled bowl and place in the oven on the Dough Proving function for 20 minutes, or until the dough rises to double the volume.
4.
Remove the dough from the bowl and divide into two large, evenly weighted balls of dough. Knead each one and shape into long thick baguettes.
5.
Place on the perforated steam tray and return to the oven on the Dough Proving function for 12 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size. Remove from the oven.
6.
Preheat the oven to 190°C on the Bread Baking function in the Assisted Cooking category. When the oven reaches the set temperature, return the tray to the oven and cook for 45 minutes, then cool on a wire rack until ready to serve.