Lemon and Orange Bread
I was inspired to make this bread when I visited a small artisan bakery in Tours (Loire), France. The baker produced a bread with oranges, saffron and honey made from a traditional recipe favoured by famous local poet François Rabelais. My twist was to try it with oranges and lemons – I think it works well.
Ingredients
- 400 g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
- 100 g rye flour
- 10 g salt
- 60 g butter softened
- 60 g z caster sugar
- 20 g yeast
- 300 ml water
- 5 lemons zest of it
- 6 oranges zest of it
Instructions
- Put the flours, salt, butter, sugar, yeast and water into a bowl and massage the dough together with your hands for 3 minutes.
- Then tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, add the zests and work them well into the dough: the dough will discolour slightly, but don’t worry.
- Put the dough back in the bowl and leave to rise for 1 hour.
- Line a baking tray.
- If making two loaves, divide the dough into two equal pieces.
- Shape the dough(s) into a ball shape and push your finger down through the middle until you can feel the table underneath.
- Then, using a sharp knife, cut them across the top several times, place on the baking tray and leave to rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
- Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown, then transfer to a wire rack to cool
