How to Bake Ring Bread

[portfolio_slideshow] It’s been a long time since I saw ring bread… It fascinates me, and I remember the crown-shaped breads that my grandfather bought when I was a child… A crisp crust and an open crumb full of holes…
Several bloggers have already tried this ring bread recipe with great success.
Now it’s our turn at Eat Well 101! Here we go with this new baking tutorial.

Ring Bread Recipe

Ingredients list for ring bread

• 5 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 (320mL) of water
• 1/3 lb (160g) of fermented dough
• 2 teaspoons(10g) salt
• A pinch of sugar
• 1/4 (7g) active dry yeast

Instructions

Working the dough

Knead all the ingredients together for 10 to 15 minutes, until the dough is smooth, homogeneous and non-tacky.
Let the dough rise, covered with a cloth or plastic wrap for about 1 hour. (just as you would do for a baguette bread)
Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces of about 3 ounces (80g). A little dough will remain, you can make a bun, keep it in refrigerator to make a pizza or freeze it for later !

Let the dough relax for 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make a mold… Put a bowl lined with parchment paper upside down in the center of another pan (or baking sheet) lined with parchment paper.

Shaping the ring bread

Lay the last ball of dough (the largest one) in a round of 2 to 3 mm thickness (flour it well) and place on the back of the bowl. The edges of the circle must subsequently be under half of the dough balls.

Arrange the other balls around the reversed bowl. The circle of dough on the bowl (also called “the key”) must be visible.
Divide with a sharp knife the center circle into nine triangles, from the center and going to the periphery touching balls.

Then you need to get the triangular tabs back on the balls.
At this stage, there are two ways to proceed:

• Let the dough rise up and you flip the crown later, just before baking.
• Turn the crown upside down gently on a baking sheet and let the dough rise…

I personally prefer the second option but it’s up to you.

Allow the dough to rise for 30 min to 1 hour (depending on the temperature of your room), brush with salted water and sprinkle with a veil of flour (i.e. rye flour for a rustic touch).

Baking

Bake for 35 minutes in a preheated oven at 460°F (240°C) with a bowl of water.

Note: Fermented dough is a bit of bread dough from the day before which you may order from your favorite baker. It helps the dough to rise.

Read also: The Amaretti Cookies Recipe