Combine the dry ingredients. Mix the water with the leaven starter or yeast, add it to the flour, then mix it with a scraper. Bring the dough together, then wrap it in plastic wrap and let it sit for 20-30 minutes.
Put the dough on a working surface, knead (5-6 minutes), place it in a bowl, then let it rise to double in height (about 1-2 hours in a 23-25℃ location).
Punch down the dough in the bowl, then fold the dough over with a scraper as shown.
Like this.
Rotate the dough 90 degrees, then repeat by folding the dough while releasing the air.
Shape the dough into a ball, then wrap in plastic wrap, and let it rise until it rises to 2.5-3 times in height (the rising time will vary depending on the temperature, so adjust as necessary).
After it rises, it should look like this. Dust the banneton (bread-rising mold) evenly with flour.
Dust the working surface and scraper with flour, then lift the dough with the scraper and onto the working surface.
(With the side that was touching the bowl on top), flatten the dough to an equal height round ball about 20 cm in diameter.
Fold the dough in half by bringing the dough up over the top from the side furthest from you. Brush off any excess flour.
Next, bring the dough up from your right side, fold it down, then brush off any excess flour.
Shape the dough into a ball, then seal the seams (I gently fold it over, then seal it, but feel free to do it as you like).
With the sealed seam on top, place the dough into your banneton, and allow it to rise at room temperature (about 60 minutes at 25-26℃).
Preheat the oven to 250℃, insert baking trays (if available) in the top and bottom racks and heat (if you don't have a baking tray at the top, pay attention to the oven temperature in Step 18).
Once the dough has risen, place a sheet of parchment paper over the top of the banneton, then turn it over while gently holding the sheet.
Use a knife or razor to slash the top. Brush the slits with vegetable oil to prevent drying and make the dough expand more easily. I use olive oil.
Use the steam-bake function, if available. Otherwise, from a distance, mist the dough 5-6 times with water, then place the dough on the lower baking tray once the oven is ready.
Bake for 5 minutes at 250℃, then reduce to 230℃ and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove the top baking tray, and bake for 20 minutes at 200-220℃ for a total baking time of about 30 minutes.
The oven temperature settings are approximate, so adjust to suit your oven. After baking, place the bread on a rack to cool.
Placing the dough in the oven: I use a large cake server with a handle to slide the dough onto the tray with the parchment paper.
Before, I used a thin cutting board, but when I learned that a friend was using sturdy cardboard, I thought I should simply use what I had on hand.
Be careful not to burn yourself. I'm using the banneton to illustrate how I slide the bread into the oven using a thin cutting board.
Slide the bread into the oven together with the sheet of parchment paper. The green board is the cutting board. (Use a material with a smooth surface to allow the paper to slide off easily.)
I use two baking trays to bake, but you could also place a stainless steel bowl over the bread or whatever method you like (also adjust the oven temperature as required).
This recipe is arranged to make the amount of water easy to remember. For the water, add 60% or more of the weight of the flour to make the dough easy to knead. I used 68% water for the pain de campagne shown in the top photo.
Here is a soft loaf made with Lys d'Or flour, quickly prepared in a bread machine. https://cookpad.com/en/recipes/169390-lys-d-or-soft-french-bread
Here's a recipe for an oval-shaped pain de campagne, which also uses the same Hoshino natural leaven, and is made with bread flour, whole wheat flour, and rye flour. https://cookpad.com/en/recipes/150705-oval-campagne-loaf-with-hoshino-natural-leaven
Addendum: If using dry yeast, the dough should rise to 2 times the height. There's no need to punch it down.
