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In France, this bread is called Préfou, originally prefour, which translates to “before oven.” This is because before thermostats, bakers would make a simple & relatively quick dough to then test if the oven was at the right temperature. Traditionally, while the bread was still hot, they would then rub the bread with garlic and butter☺️ Today the bread is still served warm with your aperitif, but I wanted it to accompany my favorite soup, French onion. The bread is a lower hydration dough, so it’s an easy beginner friendly recipe!

Thank you @majulahandmade_woman for gifting me the prettiest linen blouse😍😍

250 grams of bread flour or t65
150 grams of water
60 grams sourdough(can be discard or refreshed, it’s more for flavor than leavening. You can substitute with 30 grams of water and 30 grams of flour, or you can make a poolish ahead of time)
5 grams salt
2 grams fresh yeast/ 1 gram dry active yeast
10 grams of water

Combine the 150g of water and flour, knead for 5 minutes, then leave for one hour in a warm place.
Add the rest of the ingredients and knead for 10 minutes, till dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and leave in warm place for 1 hour till dough has doubled.
Divide in half and preshape, leave for 10 minutes, then final shape, put on parchment, cover, and leave somewhere warm for 45 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 250C (I use a Dutch oven as my oven doesn’t have the right environment to bake bread properly. If your oven is well equipped, you can preheat with a baking stone, then once you load in bread, add boiling water to a pan underneath to make steam)
After 45 minutes, check to see if the dough is proofed by poking the dough, and if it springs back slowly and not all the way back, it’s ready. Bake for 10 minutes in Dutch oven with lid on or with baking stone and steam, then remove lid and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes till lightly golden browned. Traditionally, the bread isnt supposed to be too browned.

Let me know if you’d also like the recipe for the soup!

Again, like always, I highly recommend using a scale for all recipes, as it ensures a better, consistent bake! I have linked the tools I used in my Amazon page, link in bio☺️

37 Comments

  1. In France, this bread is called Préfou, originally prefour, which translates to “before oven.” This is because before thermostats, bakers would make a simple & relatively quick dough to then test if the oven was at the right temperature. Traditionally, while the bread was still hot, they would then rub the bread with garlic and butter☺️ Today the bread is still served warm with your aperitif, but I wanted it to accompany my favorite soup, French onion. The bread is a lower hydration dough, so it’s an easy beginner friendly recipe!

    Thank you @majulahandmade_woman for gifting me the prettiest linen blouse😍😍

    250 grams of bread flour or t65
    150 grams of water
    60 grams sourdough(can be discard or refreshed, it’s more for flavor than leavening. You can substitute with 30 grams of water and 30 grams of flour, or you can make a poolish ahead of time)
    5 grams salt
    2 grams fresh yeast/ 1 gram dry active yeast
    10 grams of water

    Combine the 150g of water and flour, knead for 5 minutes, then leave for one hour in a warm place.
    Add the rest of the ingredients and knead for 10 minutes, till dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and leave in warm place for 1 hour till dough has doubled.
    Divide in half and preshape, leave for 10 minutes, then final shape, put on parchment, cover, and leave somewhere warm for 45 minutes.
    Preheat your oven to 250C (I use a Dutch oven as my oven doesn’t have the right environment to bake bread properly. If your oven is well equipped, you can preheat with a baking stone, then once you load in bread, add boiling water to a pan underneath to make steam)
    After 45 minutes, check to see if the dough is proofed by poking the dough, and if it springs back slowly and not all the way back, it’s ready. Bake for 10 minutes in Dutch oven with lid on or with baking stone and steam, then remove lid and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes till lightly golden browned. Traditionally, the bread isnt supposed to be too browned.

    Let me know if you’d also like the recipe for the soup!

    Again, like always, I highly recommend using a scale for all recipes, as it ensures a better, consistent bake! I have linked the tools I used in my Amazon page, link in bio☺️

  2. French onion soup is my very favorite and I order it a lot.. but this looks so fabulous plus your style is so elegant-ASMR-dehasting.. incroyable!

  3. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤

  4. You are a true artiste. I like to cook, but I don't know how much I'd enjoy cooking in a kitchen that small.

  5. Definitely would love the recipe for the soup as it’s of my husband’s favourites so need that in my repertoire! Thanking you in advance. 🧅🧅🥖

  6. How did you go chopping that much onion in a small apartment? 😂 Sometimes I want to make French onion soup but the idea of having to chop so many onion turns me off lol. I even have a pair of kitchen goggles but they don't seem to work properly haha.

  7. La recette de la soup n'est pas si difficile.
    Hachez l'oignon et faites-le revenir, ajoutez un peu de la farine à la soupe et assaisonnez au goût.

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