With a thin crisp crust but the moistest and somehow fluffy middle, this loaf is perfect for making sandwiches with.
- 400 g strong bread flour + 2 tbsp extra
- 200 g buttermilk
- 60-75 ml warm water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 7 g dried yeast
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tsp sugar
- Fat pinch salt
- 2 small onions very finely chopped
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp butter
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Mix the 400g flour, salt, sugar and yeast (keep away from the salt as best you can) then pour in your buttermilk and the oil.
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Mixing with a spatula or in a stand mixer on slow speed, pour in enough of the water to make a soft not sticky dough.
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Knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth, elastic and springy.
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Pop in a greased bowl and leave to prove in a warm place. This dough rises very well so keep an eye on it.
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In a small pan, melt the butter and oil together then add the onion, rosemary and bay leaves – cook for a couple of minutes on a medium heat but don’t let the onions colour. Turn down the heat to low and cover, stirring every ten minutes or so until the onions are fully translucent and very soft. If there is a lot of liquid, take off the heat and cook on high for a minute until it has evaporated, stirring constantly to prevent them catching. Remove the bay leaves and leave to cool.
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When the dough has fully proved, deflate and add in your cooled onions with as much of the remaining flour as is needed to bring it back to a nice soft, not sticky dough. Try not to add more.
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Knead to incorporate the onions then form into a fat sausage and pop in a 2lb loaf tin. Spray with oil and cover with cling until doubled in size.
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Preheat oven to 250°C with a casserole with water on the lowest shelf – leave the door shut until you are ready to put your loaf in and it will get nice and steamy.
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Pop your proved loaf into the centre of the oven, taking care to stand well back so you don’t burn your face on all that steam. Immediately turn the heat down to 220°C and cook for 45-50 mins. Keep an eye on it and if it is browning too quickly or the onions are catching, cover with foil to complete the bake. You may want to invert the almost done loaf onto an oven gloved hand and tap the bottom to ensure it sounds hollow as it approaches the end of the bake – it should slip out easily in a nonstick tin.
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Cool on a rack when cooked.
If you like a softer crust, melt a tbsp of butter and brush over the loaf as soon as it comes out of the oven, then wrap up in a clean tea towel until just cool enough to slice.