Bialy: The Most Versatile, Underrated Bread

I first discovered bialy in the sourdough cookbook “Wild Bread” by MaryJane Butters. Her book was my first introduction to sourdough, though I have long since diverted from her techniques. Still, I go back to her book for recipe inspiration and ‘bialy’ had been one on my list. 

After intense research on the bread, I was so excited when I recreated it in my own kitchen. It had to be in my top ten list of favorite breads… but why was it so unheard of?

Bialy has a limited shelf life, due to the nature of the bread in combination with its filling. Fresh from the oven, it’s chewy, yet soft, with a subtly crisp crust and flavor blast in the middle. It really is best the first day, even the first couple of hours.

The bread was brought to the United States by Jews fleeing from Poland, yet ended up being forgotten in Poland (replaced with a similar bread called “cebularz”) and never made it outside of New York in the USA, leaving the bread unknown by many. It is traditionally stuffed with onions and topped with poppy seeds, though this recipe gives the filling a creative spin.

This bread has so much potential and can be incredibly versatile. I hope to give it a second life through my blog.

What Is Bialy?

A bialy is a type of bread roll that originated in the Jewish communities of Białystok, Poland. It is round like a bagel, only with an indention (not a hole) in the center that is traditionally filled with onions and topped with poppy seeds. It is known as the “Jewish English Muffin” and, by some, considered a cross between a bagel and an English muffin. In the United States, it is well-known in New York, but not really elsewhere due to its limited shelf-life. 

What I Love About This Recipe

This has to be my favorite bialy variation so far. Every batch of bialy I made when developing this recipe was demolished within the very same hour it was baked. When fresh, the bialy is still lightly crisp and not obnoxiously chewy, and everything is still warm, making for a super satisfying snack or meal (we like to eat these for brunch).

This recipe was actually the suggestion of my babysitter, who adores loaded fries. The ingredients here are based off of Sonic’s Bacon Ranch Loaded Queso Fries: crispy fries topped with bacon, ranch, and lots of cheese. Here, I use cream cheese to bind everything together, and ranch seasoning for the ranch flavor. The filling is so flavorful; I could make a cheese ball out of it and win appetizer of the year. Pair it with bialy and you have a match made in heaven!

All The “Why’s”

Bread Flour

Here’s the thing about artisan bread: most of the gluten is developed through time during the slow fermentation process. You see, as dough rests, gluten comes together naturally and fermentation provides strength. Bread flour contains more gluten binding proteins, which naturally create a stronger network that traps air and helps the loaf ferment more efficiently. I use King Arthur Bread Flour in most recipes that calls for “bread flour” because of its higher protein content (12.7%) and excellent ability to form gluten.

Salt

Salt helps bring out flavor (without salt, bread would taste almost like nothing), but also has notable effects on the dough. Salt is a tightening agent, meaning it helps create a more elastic (strong) dough. It does slow fermentation, as well as gluten development, but these are things we must account for in the recipe because we cannot have a recipe without salt. It is important to use just the right amount, enough to bring out the flavor, but not so much that the loaf cannot ferment or come together. I use the standard – 2% salt – in all my recipes, unless otherwise noted.

Hydration

Hydration simply refers to the amount of water in a recipe. The hydration of my bialy recipe is average (moderate hydration), resting at about 70%. This means the process for developing this dough looks very much like your standard country loaf of sourdough, and is also identical to that of an English muffin. The hydration of this bread, in combination with the baking method, is responsible for the chewy outcome. Unlike a bagel, which is made from a stiff dough to create a dense and soft texture, this moderate hydration dough creates a lighter, airier texture and is also responsible for the bialy’s more open crumb and distinct chew.

Dough and Gluten Development

Because this dough is unenriched (no fat, sugar, etc.) and because our sourdough starter works slowly, gluten develops naturally over time. This means we can let fermentation do most of the strengthening of our bread, aerating it and building structure, while we take time to fold the dough, which helps fermentation do its best work.

I chose to develop this dough by hand through a hybrid of kneading and stretch-and-folds. Kneading this dough twice contributes to a more elastic dough, which just means it holds together better and rises tall in the oven. I’ve recently come to see the benefits of kneading bread dough in order to develop more of the gluten up front (which helps the loaf ferment better). In all actuality, if you know what you are looking for in regards to proper development of both extensibility and elasticity, you can develop this dough using any of your favorite methods.

Bulk Fermentation

It is important to note that fermentation varies significantly depending on temperature and climate. My home generally rests around 68-72 F (20-22 C), so my fermentation times are very extended from someone whose home rests around 75 F (24 C), or even warmer. Always watch the dough and read your baked loaf as best as possible to be able to determine necessary adjustments for your next attempt. The goal is to ferment the dough as long as possible, but not to overproof. The longer the dough ferments, the lighter and airier your bread will be.

Generally, loaves that ferment around 70 F (21 C; this is the temperature I ferment my dough) take about 12 hours to bulk ferment. Colder climates, say 65 F (18 C), take a very long time, a minimum of 16 hours, and sometimes longer. Increase the temperature to 73-75 F (23-24 C), and the bulk fermentation time is reduced to around 9 hours. Last, very warm temperatures, 78-80 F (25-27 C) generally take only 4 hours to complete fermentation. All in all, your dough is in your hands, and in your climate.

Shaping

The shaping method for a bialy is a bit different from other kinds of bread. The dough is divided and shaped into rounds, then coated in cornmeal (just like an English muffin) and left for the final proof. Just before baking, the dough is shaped again. The center of the round is indented and expanded in order to hold the classic onion filling. It is very important to make the center as thin as possible (without tearing) and press out most of the air in order to prevent it from popping up like pita bread in the oven.

The Filling

This recipe was inspired by Sonic’s Bacon Ranch Loaded Queso Fries. This filling is loaded with bacon, cheddar, and the perfect amount of ranch seasoning. Cream cheese holds everything together, and chives are added for color and garnish. I could honestly just eat the filling on it’s own, though it gets a major upgrade when baked with homemade bread, which is perfectly crisp, soft, and chewy right out of the oven.

Cheddar Cheese

Adding extra cheddar cheese at the end of baking simply takes this recipe to the next level. It enhances both flavor and appearance; the perfect final touch.

Baking Method: Temperature

The best oven spring and crumb comes from baking the dough hot and fast. I chose a temperature of 500 F to give the dough the best “pop” in the oven, which lends a beautiful crumb and a perfect, matte crust.

Baking Method: Steam

Use steam for the first ten minutes of baking to help the dough expand properly. For this recipe, I leave the steam method open because I believe everyone has a preferred method for steaming their oven for bread that is right for their oven. You could bake these in a Challenger Bread Pan, or you could simply use boiling water or ice on the bottom of the oven to create the right amount of steam. The main goal: make sure the bialy has the ability to expand to its maximum potential before the crust begins to harden.

Suggested Timelines

Daytime Baking Timeline

Overnight Baking Timeline

Cold-Ferment Timeline

Other Bialy Variations

Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.

Bialy: The Most Versatile, Underrated Bread

I first discovered bialy in the sourdough cookbook “Wild Bread” by MaryJane Butters. Her book was my first introduction to sourdough, though I have long since diverted from her techniques. Still, I go back to her book for recipe inspiration and ‘bialy’ had been one on my list. 

After intense research on the bread, I was so excited when I recreated it in my own kitchen. It had to be in my top ten list of favorite breads… but why was it so unheard of?

Bialy has a limited shelf life, due to the nature of the bread in combination with its filling. Fresh from the oven, it’s chewy, yet soft, with a subtly crisp crust and flavor blast in the middle. It really is best the first day, even the first couple of hours.

The bread was brought to the United States by Jews fleeing from Poland, yet ended up being forgotten in Poland (replaced with a similar bread called “cebularz”) and never made it outside of New York in the USA, leaving the bread unknown by many. It is traditionally stuffed with onions and topped with poppy seeds, though this recipe gives the filling a creative spin.

This bread has so much potential and can be incredibly versatile. I hope to give it a second life through my blog.

What Is Bialy?

A bialy is a type of bread roll that originated in the Jewish communities of Białystok, Poland. It is round like a bagel, only with an indention (not a hole) in the center that is traditionally filled with onions and topped with poppy seeds. It is known as the “Jewish English Muffin” and, by some, considered a cross between a bagel and an English muffin. In the United States, it is well-known in New York, but not really elsewhere due to its limited shelf-life. 

It’s Time For Something Sweet

Some prefer savory, while others prefer sweet, so I’ve made it a priority to accommodate both in this bialy series. In this recipe, blueberries mesh with lemon and sweet cream cheese to create this heavenly take on bialy. Because bialy is unenriched, crispy, and chewy, this recipe is unlike other sweet bread recipes, which tend to be tender, rich, and fluffy (due to the addition of butter and eggs). Here, you’ll find an artisan-style bread with a pop of sweet blueberry filling, enhanced with a lemon glaze.

All The “Why’s”

Bread Flour

Here’s the thing about artisan bread: most of the gluten is developed through time during the slow fermentation process. You see, as dough rests, gluten comes together naturally and fermentation provides strength. Bread flour contains more gluten binding proteins, which naturally create a stronger network that traps air and helps the loaf ferment more efficiently. I use King Arthur Bread Flour in most recipes that calls for “bread flour” because of its higher protein content (12.7%) and excellent ability to form gluten.

Salt

Salt helps bring out flavor (without salt, bread would taste almost like nothing), but also has notable effects on the dough. Salt is a tightening agent, meaning it helps create a more elastic (strong) dough. It does slow fermentation, as well as gluten development, but these are things we must account for in the recipe because we cannot have a recipe without salt. It is important to use just the right amount, enough to bring out the flavor, but not so much that the loaf cannot ferment or come together. I use the standard – 2% salt – in all my recipes, unless otherwise noted.

Hydration

Hydration simply refers to the amount of water in a recipe. The hydration of my bialy recipe is average (moderate hydration), resting at about 70%. This means the process for developing this dough looks very much like your standard country loaf of sourdough, and is also identical to that of an English muffin. The hydration of this bread, in combination with the baking method, is responsible for the chewy outcome. Unlike a bagel, which is made from a stiff dough to create a dense and soft texture, this moderate hydration dough creates a lighter, airier texture and is also responsible for the bialy’s more open crumb and distinct chew.

Dough and Gluten Development

Because this dough is unenriched (no fat, sugar, etc.) and because our sourdough starter works slowly, gluten develops naturally over time. This means we can let fermentation do most of the strengthening of our bread, aerating it and building structure, while we take time to fold the dough, which helps fermentation do its best work.

I chose to develop this dough by hand through a hybrid of kneading and stretch-and-folds. Kneading this dough twice contributes to a more elastic dough, which just means it holds together better and rises tall in the oven. I’ve recently come to see the benefits of kneading bread dough in order to develop more of the gluten up front (which helps the loaf ferment better). In all actuality, if you know what you are looking for in regards to proper development of both extensibility and elasticity, you can develop this dough using any of your favorite methods.

Bulk Fermentation

It is important to note that fermentation varies significantly depending on temperature and climate. My home generally rests around 68-72 F (20-22 C), so my fermentation times are very extended from someone whose home rests around 75 F (24 C), or even warmer. Always watch the dough and read your baked loaf as best as possible to be able to determine necessary adjustments for your next attempt. The goal is to ferment the dough as long as possible, but not to overproof. The longer the dough ferments, the lighter and airier your bread will be.

Generally, loaves that ferment around 70 F (21 C; this is the temperature I ferment my dough) take about 12 hours to bulk ferment. Colder climates, say 65 F (18 C), take a very long time, a minimum of 16 hours, and sometimes longer. Increase the temperature to 73-75 F (23-24 C), and the bulk fermentation time is reduced to around 9 hours. Last, very warm temperatures, 78-80 F (25-27 C) generally take only 4 hours to complete fermentation. All in all, your dough is in your hands, and in your climate.

Shaping

The shaping method for a bialy is a bit different from other kinds of bread. The dough is divided and shaped into rounds, then coated in rice flour (instead of cornmeal, like bialy normally is) and left for the final proof. Just before baking, the dough is shaped again. The center of the round is indented and expanded in order to hold the classic onion filling. It is very important to make the center as thin as possible (without tearing) and press out most of the air in order to prevent it from popping up like pita bread in the oven.

Rice Flour Over Cornmeal

The purpose of cornmeal during bialy’s initial shape is to make handling easier during the final steps of the process. I chose to replace cornmeal with rice flour simply because I did not feel gritty cornmeal was the right pair for a sweet bialy. Rice flour is finer, very neutral in flavor, and gluten-free: making it the perfect alternative coating to cornmeal. Coating in rice flour has the same effects: the flour does not absorb into the bread, which eases bread handling and prevents sticky bialy during the final shape. A little bit of rice flour goes a long way; you do not need a heavy dusting to thoroughly coat the bialy.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Filling

Sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla enhance the cream cheese in this sweet bialy recipe. Originally, I hoped to include an egg yolk in the mixture as well, but (because bialy is baked at such a high oven temperature) the custard just did not cook right.

Rather than mixing blueberries into the cream cheese, I choose to add a few to the top of each bialy. While either method works, bialy does not need a ton of filling, and since I’m not dicing the blueberries into chunks, doing it this way helps ensure I get just the amount of blueberries I want.

Lemon Glaze

Because of the way bialy is made, the pop of flavor is solely in the middle. Since this is a sweet take on bialy, I wanted there to be a sweet flavor profile throughout – hence, a lemon glaze. This glaze is meant to add a final touch to the appearance and overall flavor profile of the bialy. Lemon perfectly compliments the filling, while the glaze itself adds sweetness to an otherwise plain artisan bread.

Baking Method: Temperature

The best oven spring and crumb comes from baking the dough hot and fast. I chose a temperature of 500 F to give the dough the best “pop” in the oven, which lends a beautiful crumb and a perfect, matte crust.

Baking Method: Steam

Use steam for the first ten minutes of baking to help the dough expand properly. For this recipe, I leave the steam method open because I believe everyone has a preferred method for steaming their oven for bread that is right for their oven. You could bake these in a Challenger Bread Pan, or you could simply use boiling water or ice on the bottom of the oven to create the right amount of steam. The main goal: make sure the bialy has the ability to expand to its maximum potential before the crust begins to harden.

Suggested Timelines

Daytime Baking Timeline

Overnight Baking Timeline

Cold-Ferment Timeline

Other Bialy Variations

Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.

Bialy: The Most Versatile, Underrated Bread

I first discovered bialy in the sourdough cookbook “Wild Bread” by MaryJane Butters. Her book was my first introduction to sourdough, though I have long since diverted from her techniques. Still, I go back to her book for recipe inspiration and ‘bialy’ had been one on my list. 

After intense research on the bread, I was so excited when I recreated it in my own kitchen. It had to be in my top ten list of favorite breads… but why was it so unheard of?

Bialy has a limited shelf life, due to the nature of the bread in combination with its filling. Fresh from the oven, it’s chewy, yet soft, with a subtly crisp crust and flavor blast in the middle. It really is best the first day, even the first couple of hours.

The bread was brought to the United States by Jews fleeing from Poland, yet ended up being forgotten in Poland (replaced with a similar bread called “cebularz”) and never made it outside of New York in the USA, leaving the bread unknown by many. It is traditionally stuffed with onions and topped with poppy seeds, though this recipe gives the filling a creative spin.

This bread has so much potential and can be incredibly versatile. I hope to give it a second life through my blog.

What Is Bialy?

A bialy is a type of bread roll that originated in the Jewish communities of Białystok, Poland. It is round like a bagel, only with an indention (not a hole) in the center that is traditionally filled with onions and topped with poppy seeds. It is known as the “Jewish English Muffin” and, by some, considered a cross between a bagel and an English muffin. In the United States, it is well-known in New York, but not really elsewhere due to its limited shelf-life. 

What Makes A Jalapeño Popper?

Jalapeño poppers are very popular where I am from. I did not even realize there were so many interpretations of a jalapeño popper until… the internet. As I know it, a “jalapeño popper” is simply a jalapeño with which the insides have been removed and replaced with cream cheese. Everything is wrapped in bacon and grilled outdoors until the bacon is cooked dark and the jalapeño is soft. This recipe takes inspiration from this version of a jalapeño popper, utilizing jalapeño, cream cheese, and bacon to create a delectable bialy filling.

All The “Why’s”

Bread Flour

Here’s the thing about artisan bread: most of the gluten is developed through time during the slow fermentation process. You see, as dough rests, gluten comes together naturally and fermentation provides strength. Bread flour contains more gluten binding proteins, which naturally create a stronger network that traps air and helps the loaf ferment more efficiently. I use King Arthur Bread Flour in most recipes that calls for “bread flour” because of its higher protein content (12.7%) and excellent ability to form gluten.

Salt

Salt helps bring out flavor (without salt, bread would taste almost like nothing), but also has notable effects on the dough. Salt is a tightening agent, meaning it helps create a more elastic (strong) dough. It does slow fermentation, as well as gluten development, but these are things we must account for in the recipe because we cannot have a recipe without salt. It is important to use just the right amount, enough to bring out the flavor, but not so much that the loaf cannot ferment or come together. I use the standard – 2% salt – in all my recipes, unless otherwise noted.

Hydration

Hydration simply refers to the amount of water in a recipe. The hydration of my bialy recipe is average (moderate hydration), resting at about 70%. This means the process for developing this dough looks very much like your standard country loaf of sourdough, and is also identical to that of an English muffin. The hydration of this bread, in combination with the baking method, is responsible for the chewy outcome. Unlike a bagel, which is made from a stiff dough to create a dense and soft texture, this moderate hydration dough creates a lighter, airier texture and is also responsible for the bialy’s more open crumb and distinct chew.

Dough and Gluten Development

Because this dough is unenriched (no fat, sugar, etc.) and because our sourdough starter works slowly, gluten develops naturally over time. This means we can let fermentation do most of the strengthening of our bread, aerating it and building structure, while we take time to fold the dough, which helps fermentation do its best work.

I chose to develop this dough by hand through a hybrid of kneading and stretch-and-folds. Kneading this dough twice contributes to a more elastic dough, which just means it holds together better and rises tall in the oven. I’ve recently come to see the benefits of kneading bread dough in order to develop more of the gluten up front (which helps the loaf ferment better). In all actuality, if you know what you are looking for in regards to proper development of both extensibility and elasticity, you can develop this dough using any of your favorite methods.

Bulk Fermentation

It is important to note that fermentation varies significantly depending on temperature and climate. My home generally rests around 68-72 F (20-22 C), so my fermentation times are very extended from someone whose home rests around 75 F (24 C), or even warmer. Always watch the dough and read your baked loaf as best as possible to be able to determine necessary adjustments for your next attempt. The goal is to ferment the dough as long as possible, but not to overproof. The longer the dough ferments, the lighter and airier your bread will be.

Generally, loaves that ferment around 70 F (21 C; this is the temperature I ferment my dough) take about 12 hours to bulk ferment. Colder climates, say 65 F (18 C), take a very long time, a minimum of 16 hours, and sometimes longer. Increase the temperature to 73-75 F (23-24 C), and the bulk fermentation time is reduced to around 9 hours. Last, very warm temperatures, 78-80 F (25-27 C) generally take only 4 hours to complete fermentation. All in all, your dough is in your hands, and in your climate.

Shaping

The shaping method for a bialy is a bit different from other kinds of bread. The dough is divided and shaped into rounds, then coated in cornmeal (just like an English muffin) and left for the final proof. Just before baking, the dough is shaped again. The center of the round is indented and expanded in order to hold the classic onion filling. It is very important to make the center as thin as possible (without tearing) and press out most of the air in order to prevent it from popping up like pita bread in the oven.

The Filling

In place of the traditional onion filling, I use jalapeños, bacon, and cream cheese to mimic the flavors of a jalapeño popper. To make the filling, I fry diced bacon in a skillet until it starts to grease, then add diced jalapeños and cook until the bacon is crispy and the jalapeños are soft. I drain the grease from the mixture as much as possible, then mix with softened cream cheese until everything is smooth and well incorporated.

Feel free to play around with the cooking method to suit your taste and texture preferences. You do not have to cook the jalapeño if you do not want to. Or, you could roast the jalapeños in the oven with the bacon until everything is cooked to your liking before dicing and adding to the cream cheese.

If you are into appearances, this filling does still release some grease in the oven, which may affect the top of your bialy, depending on how much grease you were able to drain and how well you formed the center of the bialy (so it does not pop up in the oven and spill filling out of the center hole). Though this is a bit of a bummer, I tend to lean toward taste over appearance – and this jalapeño popper bialy is all about flavor.

Baking Method: Temperature

The best oven spring and crumb comes from baking the dough hot and fast. I chose a temperature of 500 F to give the dough the best “pop” in the oven, which lends a beautiful crumb and a perfect, matte crust.

Baking Method: Steam

Use steam for the first ten minutes of baking to help the dough expand properly. For this recipe, I leave the steam method open because I believe everyone has a preferred method for steaming their oven for bread that is right for their oven. You could bake these in a Challenger Bread Pan, or you could simply use boiling water or ice on the bottom of the oven to create the right amount of steam. The main goal: make sure the bialy has the ability to expand to its maximum potential before the crust begins to harden.

Suggested Timelines

Daytime Baking Timeline

Overnight Baking Timeline

Cold-Ferment Timeline

Other Bialy Variations

Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.

For some reason, good English muffin recipes are rare. Many are dense and heavy, lacking nooks and crannies for all that butter and jam. Not this one. My perfect English muffin is one that is light, slightly soft, with a subtle crisp when bitten into. It has nooks and crannies scattered throughout, but not as in “random large holes.” No – nooks and crannies as in: a bunch of little holes all next to each other that perfectly and evenly hold their filling. It is possible, and it is not that hard. You just have to know a few key pieces of information, which (of course) I spill the beans on below.

What Are English Muffins?

English muffins are a small, round, and flat yeast-leavened bread product. They are fried on a griddle or stovetop, which gives them their unique texture and appearance – golden and crispy on the outside, yet soft and chewy on the inside. English muffins are often split open with a fork, toasted, and served with butter, jam, or used as a base for breakfast sandwiches (my favorite!).

A Brief History Of English Muffins

English muffins were invented by a British expatriate in America in the late 1800s. A man named Samuel Bath Thomas developed them as a thinner, pre-cut version of crumpets. While crumpets are made from a wet batter that is cooked only on one side, English muffins are made from a firmer dough that is split down the middle, usually with a fork. They are much more well-known and popularized in America than England, where they are termed, “American muffins.”

What I Love About This Recipe

This recipe creates an English muffin that is beautifully light and airy with nooks and crannies throughout. To create them, I break a few traditional rules, such as frying low and slow until the muffins are cooked completely through. I also bring back forgotten knowledge, such as the main liquid base for English muffins. I also use some techniques I do not see often, such as dividing the dough into equally-weighted sections and shaping into rounds, rather than rolling out the dough and cutting with a dough cutter. Altogether, I think the blend of techniques and ingredients in this recipe creates a stunning end result that will leave any baker obsessed with baking more.

All The “Why’s”

Bread Flour

Here’s the thing about artisan bread: most of the gluten is developed through time during the slow fermentation process. You see, as dough rests, gluten comes together naturally and fermentation provides strength. Bread flour contains more gluten binding proteins, which naturally create a stronger network that traps air and helps the loaf ferment more efficiently. I use King Arthur Bread Flour in most recipes that calls for “bread flour” because of its higher protein content (12.7%) and excellent ability to form gluten.

Salt

Salt helps bring out flavor (without salt, bread would taste almost like nothing), but also has notable effects on the dough. Salt is a tightening agent, meaning it helps create a more elastic (strong) dough. It does slow fermentation, as well as gluten development, but these are things we must account for in the recipe because we cannot have a recipe without salt. It is important to use just the right amount, enough to bring out the flavor, but not so much that the loaf cannot ferment or come together. I use the standard – 2% salt – in all my recipes, unless otherwise noted.

Hydration

This recipe has an approximate hydration of 70%. The amount of liquid present is just enough to create a soft dough that can be structured by hand through folds. Increased hydration (more liquid) leads to chewier textures, which I do not want too much of in this recipe. I find this amount of liquid to yield the perfect texture in the bread, as well as create the right consistency of dough to make for easy handling for any level of sourdough baker.

Little To No Milk

While most English muffin recipes on the internet today are primarily milk-based, this one is not. This recipe includes hardly any milk, though it does include a smidgen for reasons I will explain in a moment. In fact, your muffins will come out great if the milk is skipped altogether and replaced with water. This factor is so very important to the overall texture of the muffins and it plays a large role in the presence of the nooks and crannies.

Originally, I did not include any milk in the recipe. But, milk creates density and softness. A small amount of this is actually very helpful to balancing out the chewiness that water creates. That is why I, inevitably, decided to include a small percentage of it in this recipe. Did you know the original English muffin recipe did not include milk at all? It is not essential.

Aside from the positive effects, milk has some neutral effects, such as darkening of the crust, and also one majorly negative effect for English muffins, and that is that it completely closes the crumb. Why? Milk is a tightening agent (like salt), and in large portions brings too much elasticity to the dough. With milk as the base, no matter the fermentation, it is nearly impossible to achieve the openness desired in English muffins. Therefore, this recipe is primarily made with water as the liquid base, and uses only a small percentage of milk (small enough to still allow for those gorgeous nooks and crannies to come through) to add a little bit of softness to the interior of the muffin. For a deeper dive into the effects of milk in English muffins, see my expansion post on this topic, linked below:

Oil Over Butter

Oil, in addition to milk, adds softness to the dough. I chose to use oil over butter in this recipe due to the fact that I chose to hand mix the dough and develop the gluten through folds. Unless the liquids are heated (which I do not do) butter will solidify during mixing and is much more difficult to incorporate. Butter can be used, if desired, keeping this fact in mind, being sure to warm the liquids so that it can be incorporated easily.

No Added Sugar

Many English muffin recipes add sugar, usually only a small amount, to the dough. The purpose of the small portion of sugar would be to aid in fermentation. Unlike adding a large amount of sugar (which slows fermentation) a small amount of sugar can help the yeast get going. This is more important in English muffins made with commercial yeast, and is not necessary for a sourdough English muffin recipe like this one. The yeast are able to receive plenty of nutrients and sugars through the flour and the milk in this recipe. It is not even necessary to sweeten the dough for the purposes of eliminating a “sour” flavor, as a well-developed “sour” flavor is often a sought-after trait in English muffins. 

Dough and Gluten Development

This dough includes only a small percentage of enrichments (oil, milk), neither of which is enough to interfere with the natural process of gluten development that happens over time. This means we can let fermentation do most of the strengthening of our bread, aerating it and building structure, while we take time to fold the dough, which helps fermentation do its best work.

Folding the dough has many benefits, and time you fold it in relation to its stage in fermentation can also change the outcome of your crumb completely. More folds up front (sometimes, I also pair this with increased mixing time) creates a more elastic loaf, which just means the end result will be taller with a more defined shape. Less folds, or folds that are more spaced out, can mean a flatter muffin, but with a more “wild” and open crumb.

Troubleshooting

• If you feel your crumb is too closed (and you know fermentation is on point), try spacing the folds out more.
• If you feel your muffins are too flat, try replacing the first set of folds with two to three minutes of kneading, adding one to two sets of folds to the recipe, or performing your folds closer together.
• Beware of how temperature plays a part; you will want to do your folds closer together if the environment is warm (above 72 F, 22 C) and farther apart if the environment is cool (below 72 F, 22 C)

For this recipe, I aim for four folds. The key is to make sure the dough relaxes completely between each set. This way, the folds are more efficient at structuring the dough. You can do each set of folds a minimum of fifteen minutes apart, but thirty minutes is better. Even an hour apart can be okay, but then it may throw off your ability to judge fermentation, which is only a factor if you are new to making sourdough and do not quite know the right timing for your environment. Feel free to play around with everything I just mentioned and notice what intervals gives you the results you are looking for in your bread. You can do a minimum of four sets of folds, or a maximum of eight sets; though, I do not see a reason to go so high.

Bulk Fermentation

It is important to note that fermentation varies significantly depending on temperature and climate. My home generally rests around 68-72 F (20-22 C), so my fermentation times are very extended from someone whose home rests around 75 F (24 C), or even warmer. Always watch the dough and read your baked loaf as best as possible to be able to determine necessary adjustments for your next attempt. The goal is to ferment the dough as long as possible, but not to overproof. The longer the dough ferments, the lighter and airier your bread will be.

If you choose to cold ferment your dough, as I do in this recipe, the temperature of your bulk fermentation is very important. A warm dough will continue to rise significantly in the fridge, while a cooler dough will not. I keep this dough around 70 F, and bulk ferment it until it reaches 50-75% in size after folds are complete. The bulk fermentation here is significantly reduced from what I usually do, and that is because I let the dough rest on the counter for a very long final proof. If you live in a climate like mine, or even cooler, this method will work fine. But, if your environment is warmer, you will need to consider decreasing the percentage of rise you give the dough before you shape it. I can give you some guidelines, but ultimately you will need to experiment and find your own way for your own environment.

Generally, loaves that ferment around 70 F (21 C; this is the temperature I ferment my dough) take about 5-6 hours to warm bulk ferment (before the refrigerator) in this recipe. Colder climates, say 65 F (18 C) take much longer: a minimum of 8 hours. Increase the temperature to 73-75 F (23-24 C), and the bulk fermentation time is reduced to around 3-4 hours. Last, very warm temperatures, 78-80 F (25-27 C) generally take only 2 hours to complete the first fermentation. All in all, your dough is in your hands, and in your climate.

Cold Bulk Fermentation

Though placing the dough in the fridge isn’t necessary, it will create a deeper final flavor, as well as add flexibility to the baking timeline. I choose to do this before the muffins are shaped, rather than after, but either way will result in a beautiful flavor. The dough must be at room temperature or slightly warmer before frying, which is why placing the dough in the fridge at the end of bulk fermentation seems to make the most sense. Furthermore, it will also make handling the dough for shaping slightly easier.

If you choose to skip cold bulk fermentation, you will want to shape the dough after about a 50-75% size increase, and then let the muffins proof on the counter until about double in size for best results. When skipping the fridge, it is easy to use visual cues since we do not have to worry about the dough rising too much in the refrigerator.

Shaping

The dough is shaped by dividing into twelve equal sections and shaping each section into a round by using a clean counter and your pinkies to tighten the outer skin. This method, at least in my opinion, is much easier and a lot less time consuming than rolling out the dough and cutting into rounds using a biscuit cutter. 

A Long Final Proof

A “final proof” is simply the time the dough is left to rest and ferment after shaping, but before cooking. This recipe includes a long final proof, which is possible due to the shortened bulk fermentation, for a reason. After the dough is shaped, it is left to ferment and develop bubbles, remaining unhandled. This, in addition to everything else mentioned above, is an important factor to achieving those gorgeous nooks and crannies. A dough that has not been left to proof long enough will not result in the same nooks and crannies as one left for longer. There is one catch, though. A dough left to proof too long will not have as much of a “spring” on the hot griddle (though it may or may not still result in beautiful nooks). It is important to let the dough relax and expand a good amount, but not flatten completely, in order to achieve the perfect English muffin.

Room Temperature Dough

A dough that is room temperature, or slightly warmer, will result in the best “spring” on the griddle, as well as the biggest air bubbles inside. I learned this lesson when working on baguettes, as I tried to mimic my standard country loaf and bake them from cold, only to discover a major lack of desired oven spring. This same concept applies to English muffins. The warmer dough temperature hitting a high heat on the griddle will cause the muffins to puff up rapidly and produce beautiful air bubbles inside.

Cooking Method: High Heat

Hear me out on the high heat. Maybe you have researched and are positive that English muffins are meant to be fried from start to finish: slowly at a lower temperature. And the truth is, you can do this and I will tell you how (more on this in FAQs). The pitfall to frying “low and slow” is the goal of the nooks and crannies. Room temperature (or slightly warmer) dough needs to hit high heat. This reaction will cause the muffins to puff up immediately, expand beautifully, and produce gorgeous air bubbles. By using a lower heat, the muffins will rise slower, and will still produce air bubbles as they expand (maybe even enough for you to be satisfied!), but not in the same way as a muffin cooked on a higher heat. Unfortunately, using the higher heat means the muffins would burn on the outside before they are cooked all the way through, which is why I combine this method with baking in the oven.

An Oven-Baked Finish

I finish these muffins by baking them in a 350 F oven for 15 minutes. The muffins received their “spring” and golden exterior on the stovetop, but now they must finish cooking through. A moderate heat is all that is necessary, since expansion and proper browning has already occurred. I prefer to place the muffins directly in the oven after they are finished on the stovetop, in order to keep the heat on them until they are finished cooking. To do this, I work in batches and use multiple timers on my phone to know when everything is ready. Alternatively, place the muffins on a baking sheet as they are finished on the stovetop and bake the muffins altogether for fifteen minutes.

Suggested Timelines

Suggested Timeline

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Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.

For some, a bread recipe that requires extremely minimal effort is the ultimate goal. Who cares about perfection? I just want bread! This recipe is just that – minimal effort, moderate results. I wanted to make this recipe stupidly simple, so that those who do not have the time, effort, or desire to slave over their loaves all day would have something to turn to.

Let me be clear – this is not me. I’d much rather take the two minutes every hour to fold my dough and to meet all of its needs so that I can have my perfect loaf: one that is tall and defined, bursts in the oven, and presents a wide open crumb. As of the time of this writing, I am still searching for this recipe, though I get closer with every bake.

However, I also seek to meet all the needs of the sourdough community. And, for many, that is minimal effort. I respect that. We do not all have a sourdough obsession: we just want to make good bread.

So, let us do just that. Make bread. And, let me tell you about the “why’s” behind everything you will face here, so that you really understand what is going on.

What Is Country Bread?

Country bread is a French-inspired rustic loaf of sourdough bread. It can be shaped into a boule (round) or a batard (oval). This is the bread that most people simply call “sourdough” today. This bread was popularized in the early 2000’s by Chad Robertson, whose book, Tartine Bread, is the root for which all modern sourdough is based today.

This type of bread can be made with a variety of flour types for different flavors and textures. For this recipe, we will stick with the simplest version, using just the most basic ingredients: white flour, water, salt (and sourdough starter). And, very unlike the original, we will use our stand mixer to do the bulk of the work for us.

What I Love About This Recipe

Twenty minutes. That is all you need. Twenty minutes and you have (well, actually your stand mixer has) done most of the work. There is no coming back and checking on the dough, unless you are so inclined. Ferment it, shape it, bake it, and you have sourdough.

All The “Why’s”

Flour Choice

I almost always use bread flour in my leavened bread recipes. The reason can change, depending on the type of bread I am making, but I almost always fall back to bread flour for one reason or another. In this recipe, gluten is developed in a stand mixer, which means that we must take into account a few important things about this type of bread and how it comes together in a stand mixer specifically.

My main reason for using bread flour in my artisan bread recipes gluten-forming proteins. This is very important in hand-mixed dough, which comes together naturally through fermentation. Without bread flour, the gluten does not come together as quickly or as strong, leading to a weak dough that is overly extensible and readily loses air.

This same concept applies to bread mixed with all-purpose flour in a stand mixer, but in a different way. With all-purpose flour, the dough takes longer to come together during mixing, just like it takes longer to come together naturally over time. Longer mixing times have their pros and cons, the biggest drawback being the incorporation of oxygen into the dough. While oxygen incorporation is necessary, it is a good thing only to a certain extent. Too much oxygen in bread dough is called “over-oxidation” and it produces a very white bread with a bland taste and closed crumb. This was the reason for Calvel’s invention of autolyse, which allows gluten to come together naturally before mixing begins, meaning mixing times are significantly reduced, even when using weaker flours.

To counter a weak flour without autolyse, we can simply add more flour. Adding more flour also has its pros and cons, but we must do what is best for our bread with the flour we are working with. The choice is yours: use a strong bread flour that comes together easily during mixing, or use a weaker all-purpose flour that might require additional flour or need to be mixed for longer. You might even choose to meet in the middle with a quality brand of all-purpose flour.

Salt

Salt helps bring out flavor (without salt, bread would taste almost like nothing), but also has notable effects on the dough. Salt is a tightening agent, meaning it helps create a more elastic (strong) dough. This is important in a simple, stand mixer recipe, since we do not want to have to come back to the dough until it is time to shape.

Salt does slow fermentation, as well as gluten development, but these are things we must account for in the recipe because we cannot have a recipe without salt. It is important to use just the right amount, enough to bring out the flavor, but not so much that the loaf cannot ferment or come together. I use the standard – 2% salt – in all my recipes, including this one, unless otherwise noted.

Hydration

For this recipe, I take down the hydration a bit since we do not need a dough extensible enough for folding. Since the plan is to not have to come back to the dough, we need to create enough structure through the proportions of each ingredient and through mixing. The more water in a recipe, the looser the structure, and the more times we have to come back and fold the dough to boost productivity during fermentation.

This recipe has an approximate hydration of 70%. It could even go down to 65%. But, beware! Balance is needed. While too much water means too little structure, too little water means strained ability to form gluten. Without gluten, the dough loses air and the loaf cracks. We have to have just the right amount of water for gluten to be able to form and for our dough to still stand tall on its own (without folds). 70% seems to be the perfect balance, creating a moderate hydration dough with these characteristics.

Mixing

All of the dough and gluten development in this recipe is done in a stand mixer. That makes mixing the most important component, aside from fermentation. While simple, a little knowledge can go a long way in helping us achieve the characteristics that are desired in a loaf of bread.

The goal of mixing is to incorporate all ingredients and to develop the gluten network, including the right balance of elasticity (strength, the loaf’s ability to stand tall and hold its shape) and extensibility (flexibility, stretchiness, the ability of the loaf to expand during fermentation and have a massive oven spring). Incorporating the ingredients is easy, and can take two minutes or less. But, if we just did this, we would still need to come back and structure the dough as it ferments, otherwise the loaf would be flat with a dense crumb: majorly underdeveloped. Trust me, I tried this and failed miserably, more than once. Dough and gluten development are essential to success, and we must do this properly in the stand mixer.

Extensibility

When you hand-strengthen a loaf of bread, extensibility is desired. It helps the loaf to be folded and structured properly throughout fermentation. Since we are not going to be touching the dough from mixing until shaping, it is actually better not to strive for excess extensibility. The dough will naturally relax through fermentation, which will give us all the extensibility we need for shaping and a good oven spring.

Extensibility (flexibility, stretchiness) is developed through increased hydration (more water), autolyse, weaker flour, or higher mixing speeds. Did you catch that? Higher mixing speeds are not bad, but they do create a more extensible dough. This extensibility is desired in some recipes, for example enriched doughs, especially milk breads, that we want to spring up more in the oven after a long fermentation. But, in a simple loaf like this, not so much.

Maybe you are wondering, “How do higher mixing speeds increase extensibility?” Maybe you thought it was the opposite, as I once did. Less mixing = a more relaxed dough = more extensibility. Too much mixing = a tense dough, which risks breaking apart the gluten completely. This is not so. You see, extensibility is a sign of weakness in bread dough, even though it is a necessary component of bread-making. Autolyse creates extensibility because important proteins are being degraded over time. Faster mixing speeds create extensibility because the gluten is being whacked around and broken when the dough is mixed more aggressively. You can choose how much extensibility you want in your dough by 1) knowing your flour and 2) choosing your mixing speed appropriately.

Mixing Speed

You can see in my original Stand Mixer Sourdough video on YouTube (also linked at the end of the recipe card), that I chose a higher speed to mix my dough. There are several reasons why I chose to do this. Let’s talk about them and what effects they caused.

My goal with the recipe I published on YouTube was to mimic a hand-strengthened loaf of sourdough country bread. My original thinking was that the amount of water was a key component in mimicking this crumb, so I chose to keep the amount of water the same. This meant my KitchenAid struggled to pick up the dough, which lead me to counter this by using higher speeds. Otherwise, the dough would take a very long time to come together (minimum of thirty minutes), and I might as well have just done the whole process by hand.

Using higher speeds helped me to be able to keep the hydration I wanted, without excessive mixing time. I was able to achieve a windowpane in a maximum of fifteen minutes. The dough fermented well-enough, was structured enough, and still produced a semi-open crumb.

Notice in the video how I struggled to judge fermentation. I folded the dough to help me keep my usual timing, and even in the end the dough still had not risen as much as I thought it should have. I could not answer this then, but I can answer it now. The gluten structure was too weak, too extensible. That dough needed the fold in the middle and it needed the lamination during shaping to present the minuscule amount of success that it did. Those things build strength (elasticity) which counters extensibility. Maybe this dough still needed folds just like what any sourdough baker usually does when mixing by hand. But, because whacking the dough around breaks gluten bonds, I do not think that kind of extensibility was ever going to be able to be fully fixed. Without a strong gluten network, fermentation cannot properly occur. This, my friends, is why I believe my fermentation was out of whack.

Different mixers have different speeds, and you can choose your speed according to your own personal preferences, based on to how your mixer functions and how your dough performs during fermentation. Our goal is to not have to come back to this dough and fold it. So we need to find some sort of balance that works with our dough, our mixer, and our process goals. We still need extensibility, we just do not need too much of it.

How To Accomplish Our Mixing Goals

During mixing, we want to develop the dough to medium development. Your dough should have a rough, but not complete, windowpane. Your dough will gain more strength during fermentation, so we need it to be just extensible enough to be able to expand, but not so extensible that the gluten structure is too broken (over-mixing), or that we need to help it out later with folds (under-mixing).

Start by mixing the dough at a low to medium-low speed until the ingredients are incorporated. This ensures everything is combined before gluten begins forming, that way the gluten can develop evenly and efficiently. Next, mix the dough at a slightly higher speed, medium-low to medium, until you can pull up on the dough without it tearing. This tells you that your dough may be ready to ferment.

Stop the mixer and check the windowpane. You want the be able to see through the dough only slightly. It should still have some dark patches (not see-through) interspersed with clear (see-through) dough. It should still tear when stretched excessively. If you can check both of these boxes, the dough is ready to rest and ferment.

Other Considerations

The Flour/Water Balance

Another important component to this kind of recipe is flour, which is discussed above. Different flours will perform differently during mixing. I kid you not when I say that every single flour needs to be worked with in a completely different way. This recipe is made for a 100% white flour bread, the choice being between the quality of proteins in the flour. Cake flour is out of the question, so the choice is between all-purpose flour and bread flour.

Since we are not building structure through folds, using more flour (or less water) is okay. Flour provides structure, we just have to make sure there is enough water that gluten can properly form. It is all about balance. Again, the dough needs to have enough moisture that it can stretch, but also needs to be stiff enough that it can hold itself firmly without requiring folds.

Oxygen

Mixing incorporates oxygen. While oxygen incorporation is necessary and good, too much can cause things to get out of whack. This is why too much mixing can lead to a closed crumb, white color, and bland taste. It is better to add more flour to help the dough come together than to mix for longer. Either way will result in a closed crumb, so you might as well add the flour and keep the taste, texture, and better fermentation capabilities of perfectly mixed bread.

Bulk Fermentation

This loaf is easy to ferment because it does not require any folding. Watch the dough until it doubles in size, then shape. Unless you use the fridge for the final proof, that is. That is where things could get complicated.

Warmer dough continues to ferment a considerable amount in the refrigerator. Colder dough does as well, but to a much lesser extent. It is all about the time it takes for the dough to cool off to the temperature of the refrigerator. In that case, I can provide you with some guidelines on fermentation. Always watch your dough and do your best to read your bread once it is baked and make necessary adjustments for your next attempt.

Generally, loaves that ferment around 70 F (21 C; this is the temperature I ferment my dough) take about 12 hours to bulk ferment (the time from mixing to shaping). Colder climates, say 65 F (18 C), take a very long time, a minimum of 16 hours, and sometimes longer. Increase the temperature to 73-75 F (23-24 C), and the bulk fermentation time is reduced to around 9 hours. Last, very warm temperatures, 78-80 F (25-27 C) generally take only 4 hours to complete fermentation. All in all, your dough is in your hands, and in your climate.

However, if you do not use the refrigerator at all in the entire process, it is easy to rely on visual cues. In this case, simply watch the dough until it doubles in size. A container with straight sides can help with this. Then, you can shape the dough and watch it again until it looks puffy and maybe even doubles in size again.

The goal with fermentation is to push it as long as possible. Bread that tastes gummy or chewy could always ferment longer. A well-fermented dough should taste light, airy, and soft. If you are having trouble achieving this kind of texture before the dough “overproofs” (which is when the bacteria have completely degraded the flour), this is a sign of starter imbalance. This topic is way too complicated, and I will save it for another day.

Shaping

Since we are only making one loaf of bread, it is not necessary to pre-shape the dough. Simply turn it out, and shape it using your preferred method for a boule or batard before adding to your banneton.

It is important to be very gentle with the dough during this step, if you want to keep air bubbles intact, that is. If not, simply pat the dough all over after turning out, which will degass the dough and result in a more closed and even crumb.

Cold Proof

A cold proof is always an option to extend the baking timeline, which creates flexibility. I cold ferment this dough when I make it in the morning and let it bulk ferment all day. I skip the cold ferment when I make the dough at night and let it bulk ferment overnight. You can bake this loaf straight from the fridge, or after a minimum one hour rest on the counter after shaping.

Scoring

I am super simple when it comes to scoring. You only need one score, 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, to help this loaf expand without cracking all over. I am not about decorative scoring, but if you are, then go for it!

Baking Method: Temperature

The best oven spring and crumb comes from baking the dough hot and fast. I chose a temperature of 500 F to give the dough the best “pop” in the oven.

Baking Method: Steam

Because I have a gas oven, it is hard to open bake. I open bake breads that are smaller in size, such as bialy or pan de cristal, but whole loaves do not do well. Therefore, I always use a Dutch oven for bakes like this (lid on for the first half of baking [steam], lid off second half [to firm up the crust]). Currently, that is my Challenger Bread Pan (which I absolutely love!).

In reality, you can open bake this bread, just make sure your oven has plenty of steam for the first twenty minutes of baking to help the dough expand properly. Open-baking works best with electric ovens that do not have vents. The main goal: make sure your bread has the ability to expand to its maximum potential before the crust begins to harden.

Suggested Timelines

Suggested Timeline

Work Day Timeline

Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.

I like to think of a baguette simply as a smaller version of country bread. I mean, it really is the same concept, only it is divided divided and it is shaped differently. Because it is smaller, you get more crust, hence this bread being known for its crispy crust. There are other variations too, breads even thinner than a baguette, for even more crust and crunchiness. But, this one? I don’t know – I think it presents just the right balance. You can have a long piece of bread that is excellent for sandwiches or toast, with crunch in every bite, or you can have nice and small pieces of soup bread, with just the right balance of bread and crust.

What Is A Baguette?

A baguette is a long, thin loaf of French bread characterized by its crusty exterior and soft interior. Baguettes can be sliced and used for sandwiches, served as a side with soups and salads, or simply enjoyed on their own with butter or cheese.

This type of bread is made from a fairly wet dough, which easier to develop by hand. It is made from simple ingredients: flour, water, salt (and sourdough starter). The long fermentation time allows gluten to come together, as well as provides the dough with most of its strength. It is baked at a high temperature with steam (for a fuller expansion) to achieve a sort of “explosion” in the oven, which gives the bread a beautiful oven spring and interior.

All The “Why’s”

Bread Flour

Here’s the thing about artisan bread: most of the gluten is developed through time during the slow fermentation process. You see, as dough rests, gluten comes together naturally and fermentation provides strength. Bread flour contains more gluten binding proteins, which naturally create a stronger network that traps air and helps the loaf ferment more efficiently. I use King Arthur Bread Flour in most recipes that calls for “bread flour” because of its higher protein content (12.7%) and excellent ability to form gluten.

Salt

Salt helps bring out flavor (without salt, bread would taste almost like nothing), but also has notable effects on the dough. Salt is a tightening agent, meaning it helps create a more elastic (strong) dough. It does slow fermentation, as well as gluten development, but these are things we must account for in the recipe because we cannot have a recipe without salt. It is important to use just the right amount, enough to bring out the flavor, but not so much that the loaf cannot ferment or come together. I use the standard – 2% salt – in all my recipes, unless otherwise noted.

Hydration

This recipe has an approximate hydration of 78%, meaning this dough contains a good amount of water. Baguettes need extensibility to create flexibility, which helps them open up more. Water is one component that helps make this possible. The amount of water in this recipe also allows the baguette dough to be structured by hand through folds with ease.

Dough and Gluten Development

Because this dough is unenriched (no fat, sugar, etc.) and because our sourdough starter works slowly, gluten develops naturally over time. This means we can let fermentation do most of the strengthening of our bread, aerating it and building structure, while we take time to fold the dough, which helps fermentation do its best work.

Folding the dough has many benefits, and time you fold it in relation to its stage in fermentation can also change the outcome of your bread completely. More folds up front (sometimes, I also pair this with increased mixing time) creates a more elastic bread, which just means the end result will be taller with a more defined shape. Less folds, or folds that are more spaced out, can mean less structure, but with a more “wild” and open crumb.

For this recipe, I aim for four folds. The key is to make sure the dough relaxes completely between each set. This way, the folds are more efficient at structuring the dough. For this dough, we really want to make sure the dough is fully relaxed, which will give it more extensibility, but also just enough structure. I like to do my folds at least thirty minutes apart, an hour apart being even better. The key is to also know your fermentation timing, and adjust accordingly.

Bulk Fermentation

It is important to note that fermentation varies significantly depending on temperature and climate. My home generally rests around 68-72 F (20-22 C), so my fermentation times are very extended from someone whose home rests around 75 F (24 C), or even warmer. Always watch the dough and read your baked bread as best as possible to be able to determine necessary adjustments for your next attempt. The goal is to ferment the dough as long as possible, but not to overproof. The longer the dough ferments, the lighter and airier your bread will be.

If you choose to cold ferment your dough, as I do in this recipe, the temperature of your bulk fermentation is very important. A warm dough will continue to rise significantly in the fridge, while a cooler dough will not. I keep this dough around 70 F, and bulk ferment it until it reaches double in size after folds are complete. If you live in a climate like mine, or even cooler, this method will work fine. But, if your environment is warmer, you will need to consider decreasing the percentage of rise you give the dough before you shape it. I can give you some guidelines, but ultimately you will need to experiment and find your own way for your own environment.

Generally, loaves that ferment around 70 F (21 C; this is the temperature I ferment my dough) take about 12 hours to bulk ferment. Colder climates, say 65 F (18 C) take a very long time, a minimum of 16 hours, and sometimes longer. Increase the temperature to 73-75 F (23-24 C), and the bulk fermentation time is reduced to around 9 hours. Last, very warm temperatures, 78-80 F (25-27 C) generally take only 4 hours to complete fermentation. All in all, your dough is in your hands, and in your climate.

Shaping

Since we are only making three baguettes, it is necessary to pre-shape the dough. Dividing and shaping the dough into rounds helps to set the baguettes up for shaping success. The pre-shaped rounds make the final shaping process much smoother, making way for an even shape and perfect tension.

It is important to be very gentle with the dough during both the pre-shape and final shape, if you want to keep air bubbles intact, that is. If not, simply pat the dough all over after turning out, which will degass the dough and result in a more closed and even crumb.

The baguette’s final shape could not be more important. It is vital to helping the baguettes spring properly in the oven and result in an open interior. You see, the shaping process for this bread creates necessary tension. I use a sprinkle of regular white wheat flour (as opposed to rice or semolina flour) to keep things from sticking to my counter or my hands. Sometimes I use water, but for this recipe I like to use flour. A smooth, even, and tight shape can mean the difference between a tall and pronounced baguette with a bursting score and a flat baguette whose score barely opens up.

Room Temperature Dough

I’ve found that baking my baguettes from room temperature results in a much better oven spring. Maybe it is just my oven, which does not hold steam very well at all (it is a gas oven), but the combination of room temperature dough + a very hot oven seems to create an exploding effect that helps the baguettes expand and create a beautiful open and even crumb. This is why I prefer to cold ferment this dough rather than cold proof this dough to expand the baking timeline. (Ferment meaning before shaping; proof meaning after shaping.) The cold dough is firmer, which makes the shaping process smoother. After the dough is shaped, it has time to come down to room temperature before baking, lending a great oven spring.

Scoring

Scoring baguettes can be tough! I am still working on getting it right. They key is to score straight down in several slashes, rather than diagonally. Since the dough is warm, you’ll need a sharp razor and you’ll want to move quickly!

Baking Method: Temperature

The best oven spring and crumb comes from baking the dough hot and fast. Since originally writing this recipe, I have increased the baking temperature even more because I see the benefits so clearly. I even did a side-by-side comparison (I wish I had taken photos!) and the higher temperature wins every time. The key: when the oven is so hot, you must have steam to help the dough expand before the crust begins to harden. A temperature of 500 F (260 C) gives this dough the best “pop” in the oven.

Baking Method: Steam

Because I have a gas oven, it is hard to open bake. I open bake breads that are smaller in size, such as bialy or pan de cristal, but whole loaves do not do well. This is because steam escapes through the gas vents, causing just about any steaming method to be ineffective, which causes the crust to harden too soon. I finally gave in and purchased a Challenger Bread Pan, which has been a lifesaver and gives me much better results than anything else I have tried (and, trust me, I have tried it all). Therefore, my personal view is that, if you have a gas oven, a covered steam method (such as using a Dutch oven) is best, if possible.

If you have an electric oven, you can easily open bake. A pan of boiling water, ice on the bottom of the oven, or boiling water over lava rocks are all great methods. Based on my experience, boiling water is better than ice because it does not drop the oven temperature too much. Your goal is simply to create a sauna for your bread during the first half of baking.

Before I got my Challenger Bread Pan, I did open bake this baguette recipe in my gas oven. The picture in this post are from an open bake I did before I got my Challenger Bread Pan. While the crumb on these is good, the crumb from the Challenger Bread Pan is great. Baking temperature, heat retention, and steam really do make a wild difference in the end result.

Suggested Timelines

Suggested Timeline

Work Day Timeline

All-In-One Day Timeline

Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.

I am going to be honest with you: I never make this bread the same way twice. This is one of those recipes that can take years to master, and I am still working on mastering this one. This particular recipe was originally published November of 2023 as a YouTube video, which I later transferred to my blog in February of 2024. To say that I have changed my technique a lot since publishing this recipe is an understatement. I have experimented with everything under the sun, and am still experimenting with more. At the time of this update (October 2024), I have gained so much insight, and I am excited to share some of it with you in this post. But, do I ever follow this recipe? No. In fact, when I finally do hone in on one particular technique, I bet it will look nothing like this one. So, for now, I present to you an abundance of bread knowledge and a recipe that works, but is still being refined.

What Is Country Bread?

Country bread is a French-inspired rustic loaf of sourdough bread. It can be shaped into a boule (round) or a batard (oval). This is the bread that most people simply call “sourdough” today. This bread was popularized in the early 2000’s by Chad Robertson, whose book, Tartine Bread, is the root for which all modern sourdough is based today.

This type of bread is made from a fairly wet dough, which easier to develop by hand. The long fermentation time allows gluten to come together, as well as provides the dough with most of its strength. It is baked at a high temperature with steam (for a fuller expansion) to achieve a sort of “explosion” in the oven, which gives the loaf a beautiful oven spring and interior.

This type of bread can be made with a variety of flour types for different flavors and textures. For this recipe, we will stick with the simplest version, using just the most basic ingredients: flour, water, salt (and sourdough starter).

What I Love About This Recipe

This recipe makes a great loaf of bread, but without a wildly open crumb. It is perfect for sandwiches or toast. It does not require any advanced steps, such as autolyse; rather all ingredients are mixed at once. This way: you will not forget to add anything to the dough. Working the dough by hand means that no special equipment is necessary to get it together, as folds and a long fermentation time create the necessary structure. Visual cues help you learn to read your dough to know exactly when the next step needs to take place, or if something about the process is off. The Dutch-oven bake gives this recipe the perfect crust and oven spring, while the cold ferment helps set the classic sourdough flavor.

All The “Why’s”

Bread Flour

Here’s the thing about artisan bread: most of the gluten is developed through time during the slow fermentation process. You see, as dough rests, gluten comes together naturally and fermentation provides strength. Bread flour contains more gluten binding proteins, which naturally create a stronger network that traps air and helps the loaf ferment more efficiently. I use King Arthur Bread Flour in most recipes that calls for “bread flour” because of its higher protein content (12.7%) and excellent ability to form gluten.

Salt

Salt helps bring out flavor (without salt, bread would taste almost like nothing), but also has notable effects on the dough. Salt is a tightening agent, meaning it helps create a more elastic (strong) dough. It does slow fermentation, as well as gluten development, but these are things we must account for in the recipe because we cannot have a recipe without salt. It is important to use just the right amount, enough to bring out the flavor, but not so much that the loaf cannot ferment or come together. I use the standard – 2% salt – in all my recipes, unless otherwise noted.

Hydration

This recipe has an approximate hydration of 75%. This amount of water is just enough that the dough can be structured by hand through folds with ease. The higher the hydration (the more water present in the dough), the harder the dough is to handle. I find the amount in this recipe to be a perfect balance between easy handling and beautiful stretching/ease of dough development, which makes the balance of this recipe perfect for even a beginner. Read more about dough hydration here.

Dough and Gluten Development

Because this dough is unenriched (no fat, sugar, etc.) and because our sourdough starter works slowly, gluten develops naturally over time. This means we can let fermentation do most of the strengthening of our bread, aerating it and building structure, while we take time to fold the dough, which helps fermentation do its best work.

Folding the dough has many benefits, and time you fold it in relation to its stage in fermentation can also change the outcome of your loaf completely. More folds up front (sometimes, I also pair this with increased mixing time) creates a more elastic loaf, which just means the end result will be taller with a more defined shape. Less folds, or folds that are more spaced out, can mean a flatter loaf, but with a more “wild” and open crumb.

For this recipe, I aim for six folds. The key is to make sure the dough relaxes completely between each set. This way, the folds are more efficient at structuring the dough. You can do each set of folds a minimum of fifteen minutes apart, but thirty minutes is better. Even an hour apart can be okay, but then it may throw off your ability to judge fermentation, which is only a factor if you are new to making sourdough and do not quite know the right timing for your environment. Feel free to play around with everything I just mentioned and notice what intervals gives you the results you are looking for in your bread. You can do a minimum of four sets of folds, or a maximum of eight sets; though, I do not see a reason to go so high.

Bulk Fermentation

It is important to note that fermentation varies significantly depending on temperature and climate. My home generally rests around 68-72 F (20-22 C), so my fermentation times are very extended from someone whose home rests around 75 F (24 C), or even warmer. Always watch the dough and read your baked loaf as best as possible to be able to determine necessary adjustments for your next attempt. The goal is to ferment the dough as long as possible, but not to overproof. The longer the dough ferments, the lighter and airier your bread will be.

If you choose to cold proof your dough, as I do in this recipe, the temperature of your bulk fermentation is very important. A warm dough will continue to rise significantly in the fridge, while a cooler dough will not. I keep this dough around 70 F, and bulk ferment it until it reaches double in size after folds are complete. If you live in a climate like mine, or even cooler, this method will work fine. But, if your environment is warmer, you will need to consider decreasing the percentage of rise you give the dough before you shape it. I can give you some guidelines, but ultimately you will need to experiment and find your own way for your own environment.

Generally, loaves that ferment around 70 F (21 C; this is the temperature I ferment my dough) take about 12 hours to bulk ferment. Colder climates, say 65 F (18 C) take a very long time, a minimum of 16 hours, and sometimes longer. Increase the temperature to 73-75 F (23-24 C), and the bulk fermentation time is reduced to around 9 hours. Last, very warm temperatures, 78-80 F (25-27 C) generally take only 4 hours to complete fermentation. All in all, your dough is in your hands, and in your climate.

Shaping

Since we are only making one loaf of bread, it is not necessary to pre-shape the dough. Simply turn it out, and shape it using your preferred method for a boule or batard before adding to your banneton.

It is important to be very gentle with the dough during this step, if you want to keep air bubbles intact, that is. If not, simply pat the dough all over after turning out, which will degass the dough and result in a more closed and even crumb.

I actually do perform a pre-shape in the recipe video. Here is the reason for a pre-shape: to get your dough into a shape that will make it easier to achieve the final shape you are looking for. Pre-shaping is commonly used when the dough has to be divided, such as when making rolls, baguettes, or multiple loaves of bread. It might also be used if your dough came out of the container strangely, and would be difficult to evenly shape into its final form. Pre-shaping tightens gluten and builds elasticity, which is why the dough must rest afterward before the final shape: to allow it to loosen up again so that it stretches and shapes into its final form with ease. But, like I said before, since this recipe only makes one loaf, you do not have to worry about a pre-shape.

Cold Proof

A cold proof is always an option to extend the baking timeline, which creates flexibility. I do usually cold ferment this dough, that way I can prepare it the day before and bake it whenever I want fresh bread the next day. If you make this recipe as an overnight dough, you may not want to cold proof (and, that works as well!). Simply let it rest for one to three more hours before baking, depending on the climate and how the dough is looking.

Scoring

I am super simple when it comes to scoring. You only need one score, 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, to help this loaf expand without cracking all over. I am not about decorative scoring, but if you are, then go for it!

In my video, I teach you how to score your dough at the right angle for the most prominent ear, as well as how to do a five-minute score to improve expansion in the oven. In reality, if your dough is well-strengthened, the loaf will expand just perfectly without scoring at the right angle or adding the extra score at five minutes.

Baking Method: Temperature

The best oven spring and crumb comes from baking the dough hot and fast. I chose a temperature of 500 F to give the dough the best “pop” in the oven.

Baking Method: Steam

Because I have a gas oven, it is hard to open bake. I open bake breads that are smaller in size, such as bialy or pan de cristal, but whole loaves do not do well. Therefore, I always use a Dutch oven for bakes like this (lid on for the first half of baking [steam], lid off second half [to firm up the crust]). Currently, that is my Challenger bread pan (which I absolutely love!).

In reality, you can open bake this bread, just make sure your oven has plenty of steam for the first twenty minutes of baking to help the dough expand properly. Open-baking works best with electric ovens that do not have vents. The main goal: make sure your bread has the ability to expand to its maximum potential before the crust begins to harden.

Suggested Timelines

Suggested Timeline

Work Day Timeline

Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.

Bialy: The Most Versatile, Underrated Bread

I first discovered bialy in the sourdough cookbook “Wild Bread” by MaryJane Butters. Her book was my first introduction to sourdough, though I have long since diverted from her techniques. Still, I go back to her book for recipe inspiration and ‘bialy’ had been one on my list. 

After intense research on the bread, I was so excited when I recreated it in my own kitchen. It had to be in my top ten list of favorite breads… but why is it so unheard of?

Bialy has a limited shelf life, due to the nature of the bread in combination with the traditional onion filling. It really is best the first day. The bread was brought to the United States by Jews fleeing from Poland, yet ended up being forgotten in Poland (replaced with a similar bread called “cebularz”) and never made it outside of New York in the USA, leaving the bread unknown by many.

This bread has so much potential and can be incredibly versatile. I hope to give it a second life through my blog.

What Is A Bialy?

A bialy is a type of bread roll that originated in the Jewish communities of Białystok, Poland. It is round like a bagel, only with an indention (not a hole) in the center that is traditionally filled with onions and topped with poppy seeds. It is known as the “Jewish English Muffin” and, by some, considered a cross between a bagel and an English muffin. In the United States, it is well-known in New York, but not really elsewhere due to its limited shelf-life. 

What I Love About This Recipe

There are many who consider bialys to be even better than bagels. Thanks to this recipe, I now fall into that category. I love how simple and familiar the process is, mimicking that of most staple Artisan breads. The bread itself can be incredibly versatile and stuffed with anything you like.  It’s perfect for sandwiches, with cream cheese, or even just served on its own.

All The “Why’s”

Bread Flour

Here’s the thing about artisan bread: most of the gluten is developed through time during the slow fermentation process. You see, as dough rests, gluten comes together naturally and fermentation provides strength. Bread flour contains more gluten binding proteins, which naturally create a stronger network that traps air and helps the loaf ferment more efficiently. I use King Arthur Bread Flour in most recipes that calls for “bread flour” because of its higher protein content (12.7%) and excellent ability to form gluten.

Salt

Salt helps bring out flavor (without salt, bread would taste almost like nothing), but also has notable effects on the dough. Salt is a tightening agent, meaning it helps create a more elastic (strong) dough. It does slow fermentation, as well as gluten development, but these are things we must account for in the recipe because we cannot have a recipe without salt. It is important to use just the right amount, enough to bring out the flavor, but not so much that the loaf cannot ferment or come together. I use the standard – 2% salt – in all my recipes, unless otherwise noted.

Hydration

Hydration simply refers to the amount of water in a recipe. The hydration of this recipe is average (moderate hydration), resting at about 70%. This means the process for developing this dough looks very much like your standard country loaf of sourdough, and is also identical to that of an English muffin. The hydration of this bread, in combination with the baking method, is responsible for the chewy outcome. Unlike a bagel, which is made from a stiff dough to create a dense and soft texture, this moderate hydration dough creates a lighter, airier texture and is also responsible for the bialy’s more open crumb and distinct chew.

Dough and Gluten Development

Because this dough is unenriched (no fat, sugar, etc.) and because our sourdough starter works slowly, gluten develops naturally over time. This means we can let fermentation do most of the strengthening of our bread, aerating it and building structure, while we take time to fold the dough, which helps fermentation do its best work.

I chose to develop this dough by hand through a hybrid of kneading and stretch-and-folds. Kneading this dough twice contributes to a more elastic dough, which just means it holds together better and rises tall in the oven. I’ve recently come to see the benefits of kneading bread dough in order to develop more of the gluten up front (which helps the loaf ferment better). In all actuality, if you know what you are looking for in regards to proper development of both extensibility and elasticity, you can develop this dough using any of your favorite methods.

Bulk Fermentation

It is important to note that fermentation varies significantly depending on temperature and climate. My home generally rests around 68-72 F (20-22 C), so my fermentation times are very extended from someone whose home rests around 75 F (24 C), or even warmer. Always watch the dough and read your baked loaf as best as possible to be able to determine necessary adjustments for your next attempt. The goal is to ferment the dough as long as possible, but not to overproof. The longer the dough ferments, the lighter and airier your bread will be.

Generally, loaves that ferment around 70 F (21 C; this is the temperature I ferment my dough) take about 12 hours to bulk ferment. Colder climates, say 65 F (18 C) take a very long time, a minimum of 16 hours, and sometimes longer. Increase the temperature to 73-75 F (23-24 C), and the bulk fermentation time is reduced to around 9 hours. Last, very warm temperatures, 78-80 F (25-27 C) generally take only 4 hours to complete fermentation. All in all, your dough is in your hands, and in your climate.

Shaping

The shaping method for a bialy is a bit different from other kinds of bread. The dough is divided and shaped into rounds, then coated in cornmeal (just like an English muffin) and left for the final proof. Just before baking, the dough is shaped again. The center of the round is indented and expanded in order to hold the classic onion filling. It is very important to make the center as thin as possible (without tearing) and press out most of the air in order to prevent it from popping up like pita bread in the oven.

The Filling

I chose to keep everything as close to traditional as I possibly could, and that includes the filling. These bialys are stuffed with onions (and breadcrumbs, to absorb moisture) and topped with poppy seeds, but feel free to play around with whatever you like. Some recent bialy variations I have come up with include: jalapeño popper, blueberry cream cheese, and loaded.

Baking Method: Temperature

The best oven spring and crumb comes from baking the dough hot and fast. I chose a temperature of 500 F to give the dough the best “pop” in the oven, which lends a beautiful crumb and a perfect, matte crust.

Baking Method: Steam

Use steam for the first ten minutes of baking to help the dough expand properly. For this recipe, I leave the steam method open because I believe everyone has a preferred method for steaming their oven for bread that is right for their oven. You could bake these in a Challenger Bread Pan, or you could simply use boiling water or ice on the bottom of the oven to create the right amount of steam. The main goal: make sure the bialy has the ability to expand to its maximum potential before the crust begins to harden.

Suggested Timelines

Daytime Baking Timeline

Overnight Baking Timeline

Cold-Ferment Timeline

Other Bialy Variations

Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.