Nordic Bakebox | TUTORIAL SPORT BREAD

NORDIC

SPORT BREAD

Sport Bread contains plenty of fibre, delicious seeds and oats, including sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and flaxseeds. We scald the oats and seeds and prepare a pre-dough. The dough is left to rise slowly, which helps develop its flavour, enhance the nutrients in the flour, and make the bread easier to digest. It’s the perfect bread for breakfast before a day on the ski slopes or a day in the surf!

1. DAY 1: PRE-DOUGH AND SCALDING

Day 1 (or 8-16h before next step):

Pre-dough: Mix bag g in a bowl with 100ml of cold water for a few minutes. Cover with a plate or a tea towel and let rest on the kitchen counter for about 8–16 hours.

Scalding: Pour bag h in a bowl and pour 400ml of boiling water over it. Mix until no dry bits remain and cover with a plate or a tea towel and let rest on the kitchen counter for 8–16 hours.

The purpose of a pre-dough:

Pre-doughs allow fermentation to start before combining all the ingredients, which develops deeper, more complex flavours through the breakdown of starches into sugar. It helps create a more open crumb (bread structure) and contributes to a softer bread. The longer fermentation allows enzymes to break down components of the flour, making the bread easier to digest. Pre-doughs improve moisture retention, so the bread stays fresh longer. Longer fermentation brings out the nutrients from the flour, making it more available for your body. It’s a traditional technique often used in older bread recipes.

The purpose of scalding:

Scalding is a bread baking technique that involves pouring hot water on your grains to gelatinize the starches. This process has many benefits! Scalding your grains makes them easier to digest. The grains absorbs more liquid, resulting in a softer, lighter and airier bread. The bread also retains moisture longer, so it doesn't dry out as fast and last longer.

2. DAY 2: MIX THE INGREDIENTS

Day 2:

Combine the pre-dough from day 1 with 370ml of cold water in a mixer and mix slowly for a minute.

Then add the scalding from day 1 and bag i. Mix in the machine for 3 minutes at low speed and 7 minutes at medium speed.

3. KNEAD THE DOUGH

If kneading the dough by hand, keep in mind this is a sticky dough, so keep the dough in its bowl when working it, and dip your fingers in water to prevent it from sticking too much. You can use a danish dough whisk or a dough scraper as a tool to knead this dough. Keep in mind that you will need to knead it a few minutes longer if kneading by hand.

To check that the dough has got the right consistency and that the gluten strands have been developed, perform a gluten test.

Extract a small portion of the dough and gently stretch it. The dough should show elasticity, and be able to be stretched thin. It should withstand poking and pulling without breaking. If the dough breaks straight away, it means it needs some further development. Return the dough to the mixer and allow it to run for an additional minute to enhance gluten formation. When done cover the bowl with a clean tea towel. Allow it to rest for 40-60 minutes or until doubled in size.

The time for the dough to reach double size will vary depending on the climate. A hot humid day, will make the dough rise faster and a cold day will result in a longer time for it to rise.

4. DIVDE DOUGH IN TWO

Preheat the oven to 225°C. Dust your work surface with flour from bag f, then turn out the dough and divide it into two equal parts. Shape each piece into a loaf by rolling it into a ball, gently flattening it, and folding one side into the middle, followed by the other. Flip the dough over and gently roll it into a loaf shape. Place each loaf in a greased bread tin.

5. LET THE LOAVES REST & RISE

Brush the tops with water and lightly dust them with flour from bag f. Cover with a cloth and let the dough rise for about 30 minutes.

7. CREATE A GREAT BAKING ENVIROMENT

Place the bread tins on the lower rack of the oven. Take 50ml of water and carefully pour it onto the oven tray that you positioned at the bottom of the oven before placing the loaves inside. This is to create some steam that will help your loaves to rise in the oven and helps create a beautiful crust on the bread. Reduce the temperature to 210°C for a conventional oven or 190°C for a fan-forced oven.

8. IS THE BREAD DONE?

Bake the loaves for 35–45 minutes, or until they are a rich golden-brown colour.

To check if the loaves are ready, gently tap the bottom of the loaves. If they sound hollow, it means they are ready. Once the loaves have completed baking, Let the bread cool completely before slicing, ideally for at least an hour. Enjoy your freshly baked bread!