This classic crusty cottage loaf from Paul Hollywood’s 100 Great Breads is crusty English bread with a rich, tender crumb inside.
About this bread
Bread #6 is a funny-looking double-decker round bread with slits on the sides. No one seems to know the actual history, but a crusty cottage loaf is a classic English bread, crusty on the outside, rich and tender inside. It is more tender and buttery than #2 The Crusty Cob, and it’s just as easy to bake. It’s suitable for sandwiches or toast, and nice enough for Thanksgiving dinner.
Adapted from Paul Hollywood’s 100 Great Breads this crusty cottage loaf has a rich tender crumb, but still holds up well enough for sandwiches. It’s great with soup, chili, and it makes the most delicious toast (after #8 Irish Soda Bread). It’s so good and easy to make, I’m having it on our Thanksgiving table instead of messing about with rolls. Like all Paul Hollywood’s breads, I’ve adapted this cottage loaf to fit my pantry and baking style so that it is easy to bake and contains a few basic ingredients: flour, salt, instant yeast, butter, and water. Though it looks unique with its funny little top almost like a hobbit cottage, you will love it, I promise.
#6 Cottage Loaf
Equipment
- KitchenAid mixer, if you have one, with a dough hook
Ingredients
- 2⅔ cups white bread flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2⅓ teaspoons instant yeast
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1⅛ cups warm water (110-120°F)
Instructions
- Put the flour, salt, yeast, and butter in a bowl. Blend the butter into the flour with your fingers, like you would when making pie crust. It takes about 3 minutes and it gives you the chance to show your bread some love.
- Pour in the water and mix slowly with a dough hook until you have a soft dough. It should be just a tiny bit sticky.
- Continue to mix with your dough hook for about 3-5 minutes, then tip it onto the countertop and knead a few minutes longer until the dough is stretchy.
- Put the dough back in the bowl and let rise 1 hour or until doubled.
- Put the dough on the countertop, and rip off about 1/3. Form both pieces into balls and stack one on top of the other (like a snowman), on a baking sheet. Push your finger all the way through the center of the dough, from top to bottom, to ensure they don't separate.
- Dust with flour and make vertical slashes in the dough.
- Let rise 30-45 minutes until the dough has doubled.
- Preheat over to 450°F. Bake 30 minutes or until the center of the loaf reaches 190°F.
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#6 Cottage Loaf A soft, rich loaf with a tender crumb. Nice sandwiches, toast, or dinner parties.
