Upgraded to a Challenger Bread Pan after a year of boules – worth every penny!

This is my 3rd batard after spend a year making boules in a round cast iron pan. Switching to the Challenger Bread Pan has been fantastic. I’ve always wanted to make batards, and now I finally can.

If you can afford it, I would absolutely recommend this beauty(not the bread haha).

Recipe:
– 450g bread flour (14% protein)
– 293g lukewarm water
– 90g starter
– 9g salt

Method:
1. Mix everything together (I used a KitchenAid stand mixer on speed 2 for 10mins)
2. Autolyse for 1 hour
3. 4 sets of coil folds 30-40 mins apart
4. Bulk ferment until the dough has risen by about 50% (It’s cold in the UK 😅)
5. Pre-shape and shape into a batard
6. Retard in the fridge for 24 hours
7. Bake at 225C with lid on for 30 mins, then remove the lid and bake for another 20 mins or until the crust reaches your desired colour

Would love to hear what you think and how you perfected your batards!

My next steps maybe to increase hydration slowly.

Happy Baking!