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Dragon-Crust Red Pepper Loaf

A crackling crust with a warm kick of red pepper flakes.

Makes

One round loaf

Hands on

20 min

All in

3 h 40

Oven

230 °C (450 °F)

One step at a time, screen kept awake

What you need

• 3 cups (360 g)bread flour
• 1½ cups (375 ml)warm water
• 1 tsp (5 ml)instant yeast
• 1½ tsp (7 ml)salt
• 1–2 tsp (5–10 ml)red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1 tbsp (15 ml)honey or malt syrup (optional)
• 1 tbsp (15 ml)olive oil (optional)

How it goes

1. 1

   Stir together the bread flour, salt, instant yeast and the red pepper flakes. Add the warm water (and the honey and olive oil, if using) and mix until a shaggy dough forms.

2. 2

   Rest 10 minutes, so the flour hydrates.

3. 3

   Stretch and fold, three rounds, every 10 minutes: lift the dough, fold it down, turn the bowl, 4–6 times a round.

4. 4

   Cover and leave somewhere warm until doubled, 45–60 minutes (up to 2 hours).

5. 5

   Turn onto a lightly floured counter, shape into a round, and rest 20–30 minutes.

6. 6

   Heat a Dutch oven with its lid in the oven at 230 °C (450 °F) for 30 minutes.

7. 7

   Lift the dough on parchment into the hot pot, cover, and bake 30 minutes.

8. 8

   Remove the lid and bake 10–15 minutes more, until deep golden and crusty.

9. 9

   Cool completely on a rack before slicing.

A couple of things

• Adjust the pepper flakes to your heat. As written it is two chili peppers out of a scale.
• For the crispest crust, let it cool completely before slicing.
• Keeps 2–3 days wrapped in parchment or a clean cloth, not plastic. Freezes 2–3 months.

Contains : wheat