Give them bread: the Honeyman family's lazy sourdough recipe

Lockdown has opened ovens like never before and given rise to inner bakers. In this recipe series, we collaborate with chefs from around the globe to bring you bread worth staying home for (if you’re still in lockdown). If you’re not currently in lockdown and COVID-19 is under control in your country, we encourage you to go out and support your local food providers.

THE HONEYMAN FAMILY'S LAZY SOURDOUGH RECIPE

Nick Honeyman, chef and owner of Paris Butter in Auckland, New Zealand and Le Petit Léon in France, shares his German wife’s “lazy sourdough” recipe.

"Bread is a luxury I set enough time aside to eat but never to bake. My wife has the baking stamina in our house and this is her go-to sourdough recipe that doesn’t require a starter and endless hours of study. At home, we really value our time together as a family and try to be as smart as we can with the time we spend on meal preparations without sacrificing quality."

Ingredients

3 cups flour plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon dry yeast
1¼ teaspoons of salt
1½ cups of warm water
Optional: ½ cup of seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, chia, sesame, or poppy seeds) or nuts plus more for topping 

Method

1. Soak the seeds and nuts (if using) overnight in cold water. This way they add moisture to your bread and don’t dry it out. Get rid of any excess water before adding it to your dough.
    
2. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Use any flour of your choice. We normally use two parts whole wheat flour and one part regular or rye flour.
    
3. Add water (and seeds if using), and stir until blended; the dough will be shaggy and quite loose.
    
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or beeswax wrap and let the dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably 18–24 hours, at room temperature. The warmer the room the faster the process but it also depends on preference. You’ll see bubbles appearing on the dough.
    
5. Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and gently fold the dough over on itself. This step will also shape your dough into a ball.
    
6. Tip the dough onto a baking sheet, dust with flour and let rest for 30 minutes. Top with seeds (if using), and scratch the loaf with a sharp knife.
    
7. While the dough is resting, preheat your oven to 230°C (446°F) and put a heavy covered pot or dutch oven (cast iron, enamel, or ceramic) in the oven as it heats.
    
8. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven. Pick up the parchment paper with the dough and place it directly in the pot. Cover with a lid and bake for 35–40 minutes; then, remove the lid and bake for another 10–15 minutes, until the loaf is golden and browned.