Pain de Campagne, a rustic French country bread with a thick, crunchy crust and a soft, chewy crumb. Made with a combination of white and rye flour, this bread is leavened with a tangy sourdough starter for a complex and nutty flavor. Perfect for soups, cheese platters, or enjoying on its own, try this timeless recipe and bring the taste of France to your table.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr15 minutesmins
Proofing4 hourshrs
Total Time8 hourshrs
Course: Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: French
Keyword: country loaf, french country loaf, pain de campagne
To a medium bowl, add flour and salt. Mix it until everything is evenly distributed.
Then add sourdough starter and water. Mix it until all of the flour has been hydrated.
Then add sourdough starter and water and mix until all of the flour has been hydrated. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 1 hour.
Agitation
Do three sets of stretch and folds spaced out by 30 minutes. The dough will be very sticky, so wet your hands before you start.
Put the dough into a Cambro container. Use a baking spray to ensure the dough releases easily when the bulk is over.
If you are bulking warm, around 30 degrees Celsius/86 degrees Fahrenheit, let it rise 25%. If you are bulking at room temperature, let it rise 50%. If you are bulking cold, let it rise 100%.
Divide and pre-shape
After your dough has risen, divide it into two equally sized pieces.
Using a wet scraper and wet hands, shape them into rounds.
Let the dough rest on the counter for 20 minutes.
Final shaping
Shape each ball into a boule (round bread) or bâtard (cigar-shaped bread). Watch the video for a tutorial.
Put both doughs into the fridge, and let them retard, from 4 to 72 hours. Your fridge should be ice-cold to ensure the dough stops fermentation.
Bake
When ready to bake, heat your oven to 230°C/450°F with a dutch oven inside. Heat for at least 30 minutes.
Grab a loaf from the fridge and dust the bottom with rice flour to help it slide off the peel. Flip it onto the peel and score it.
Then take the top off the dutch oven, and put the loaf into the dutch oven.
Put the lid back on, and bake for 25 minutes.
Right before the 25 minutes are up, prepare the second loaf.
Remove the lid. Move the other loaf out of the dutch oven, then put the new loaf in the dutch oven.
Put the lid back on, and bake for 25 minutes more.
Remove the first loaf from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.
Remove the top of the dutch oven and let the other loaf brown for 25 minutes.
Then take it out and put it on the wire rack with the other loaf to cool off.