The Cob Loaf above was baked using a heated Dutch Oven. However, you can get a similar result by using a heated pizza stone and steam.
The main thing to remember is to allow plenty of time. It’s not active time, so you can be off doing something else, but you need to make sure that you’re around for crucial times such as shaping and baking.
Please do watch the video below to see how I shape my cob loaf to ensure it stays upright and doesn’t spread out and become flat.
Easy Cob Loaf
Author: The Bush Gourmand
Recipe type: Bread
A delicious cob loaf baked in a slightly different way.
Ingredients
- 250g water
- 2 tsp yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 450g baker's flour (at least 10.5% protein)
- 30g olive oil
- 2 tsp bread improver (optional)
- 2 tsp salt
Method
- Place water, yeast and sugar into Thermomix bowl.
- Set 3 min/37/sp 2.
- Add remaining ingredients and set to 5 min/Knead.
- Remove from bowl and shape into a ball.
- Place into greased bowl, covered. Or place onto ThermoMat and wrap up.
- Allow to prove in a warm place for at least an hour. I like to prove on the bench for 1¾ hours.
- Unwrap or tip out on to a very lightly floured bench or ThermoMat.
- Press out into a rectangle. Pull out one corner and bring into the middle, press down to seal. Do a quarter turn and repeat with all corners. Keep going until the dough is a tight ball.
- Turn over and place on to a tray with a square of baking paper larger than the ball of dough.
- Cover lightly and allow to rise until doubled. This could take two hours if your kitchen is cold. Or, cover the dough with a large glass bowl so you can see how far the dough is rising.
- When dough is almost ready to bake, heat oven to 210C. When hot, place a round Dutch oven with a lid on the lower shelf.
- When fully proved, dust lightly with flour. Score with a lame knife if liked.
- Carefully remove Dutch oven and pick up dough with baking paper. Place carefully into the base and place lid back on. (Scrunch corners of baking paper to provide a handle)
- Bake 35 minutes with lid on. Carefully remove lid and bake a further 10 minutes or so until golden.
- Cool on a wire rack.
- See my video below for more comprehensive instructions.
Notes
If you don't have a Dutch oven, preheat a pizza stone. Bake at 190C instead of 210C.
Place bread with baking paper onto stone and spray top of dough and all around the oven with water.
Baking time will be about 40 minutes. Check by tapping the base of the bread. It should sound hollow.
Place bread with baking paper onto stone and spray top of dough and all around the oven with water.
Baking time will be about 40 minutes. Check by tapping the base of the bread. It should sound hollow.
Watch below for the full video:
Enjoy!
