Jamie Oliver's Fresh Yeast Semolina White Bread

The best looking loaf of the two

I have been looking for fresh yeast for a few months now, never being able to find it in any of the stores I frequent. Then, in the space of one week I find two locations that have it! I'm rolling in fresh yeast!

Now that I had the fresh yeast, I needed to find the recipes that used fresh yeast. Why is it when you can't find what you need, you have the recipes with the missing ingredients, but when you have the ingredients you can't find the recipes??

Then I remembered that Jamie Oliver is a big fan of using fresh yeast, so I hauled out The Naked Chef. He has a recipe for basic bread using fresh yeast and durhum semolina flour, which I happened to pick up last week at the bulk food store.

Jamie Oliver's Fresh Yeast Semolina White Bread
The Naked Chef or Jamie Oliver's Website
makes 1 really large loaf or two smaller loaves

1 oz fresh yeast or 3/4 oz dried active yeast
2 tbs honey
2 cups tepid water (I needed to add a little more as my dough was dry)
1 lb bread flour
1 lb durum semolina flour
1 tbs salt (recipe calls for 2 tbs, but that seems like a lot)

In a large bowl, add 1 cup water, the honey and crumble in the fresh yeast. Mix to dissolve yeast.

In a separate bowl, combine the flours and the salt, mixing thoroughly.

Add the flour/salt mixture, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. As you add the last of the flour, your dough may be crumbly.

Turn out the dough onto a kneading surface and begin to knead the dough. Add a little more water if dough is too crumbly (I sprayed mine with a plant mister a few times), or add more flour if the dough is too wet.

Knead dough for about 5 minutes. Grease your bowl and return dough, turning to coat the dough.

Let rise until doubled, 60 to 90 minutes (mine took 90 minutes).

Degas and either divide into two loaves, or shape into one loaf. I shaped mine into sandwich loaves and placed them into two 9x4x4" baking pans from King Arthur Flour (a gift from my mother).

Courtesy King Arthur Flour

Bake at 425F for 45 to 60 minutes for sandwich loaves, or 25 to 30 minutes for free form loaves.

This and other lovely offerings can be found at Yeastspotting.