Vaud cross bread

Instructions

Pre-ferment

1. Place the flour and yeast in a large bowl, add the water and knead into a dough. Leave to rise for 3 hours.

Main dough

1. Add the flour, water and yeast to the pre-dough and mix until the dough holds together.
2. After 5 minutes, add the salt and knead the dough for approx. 10 to 15 minutes until smooth, then leave to rest for 90 minutes.
3. Fold the dough from the outside inwards with your hand until you have a smooth ball of dough again. Then leave to rest for another 30 minutes.
4. Shape the dough into a round and lightly flour it. Place the loaf on a lightly floured cloth and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven with the pizza stone on the lowest rack to 240 °C (460 °F) with moist top/bottom heat. Preheat an empty baking tray underneath (for adding water later to create steam).
6. Dust with flour and press down with a thin rolling pin across the cross, then leave to rest for another 20 minutes.
7. Bake the bread in the lower part of the oven. Add steam for the first 10 minutes (pour water onto a baking tray). After approx. 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 220 °C and release the steam. Bake the bread for another 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown.