Folded Bread – St Galler Brot
Folded Bread – St Galler Brot has a unique fold and wrap technique that gives this bread a distinct look and an incredibly soft, moist inside with a crunchy crust!
The scent of fresh bread will fill your whole house and linger around for hours, making you want to eat just one more slice of this delicious loaf whenever you pass by your kitchen.
I love cutting into a loaf of warm bread; the bread never tastes better than fresh out of the oven. By now, you probably know that I will not eat my slice without any jelly, jam, or preserves; my current favorites are Apple Vanilla Jelly and Blueberry Vanilla Preserves. And I always make myself a nice cup of tea to go with it – but coffee works great, too 🙂
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Bread in Switzerland
Switzerland has 26 cantons (you can think of them like states, just way smaller). Each canton has its own dialect and traditions and specific baked goods. This Folded Bread – St Galler Brot is one of my favorites, even though I am not from the canton St Gallen.
It features two loaves baked together as one. The characteristic of these loaves is that they are folded and wrapped, which increases their height. This technique aims to keep a soft interior that stays fresh and moist for several days.
Use good quality flour!
King Arthur is my go-to flour for any baking! I’m using half all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour in this recipe. Their flour is very consistent, unlike any other flour I have tried (and I have tried a LOT).
All-purpose flour: I use it in any recipe that calls for flour or all-purpose flour. It’s unbleached and strong enough for bread and gentle enough for cakes and pastries.
Whole wheat flour: It is milled from 100% hard wheat. This flour elevates your recipe and adds fiber, vitamins, and nutrients. I always have a bag of it in my pantry.
E Guete (Bon appétit)!! Don’t forget to share some pictures with me and tell me how you liked this Folded Bread – St Galler Brot. It would make my day if you tag @mirjamskitchenyodel on Instagram, share on Facebook or pin on Pinterest.
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Folded Bread – St Galler Brot
Ingredients
Dough:
- 250 g All-purpose flour
- 250 g Whole wheat flour
- 10 g Salt
- 7 g Instant dry yeast
- 350 ml Water
Instructions
- In your *stand mixer, add all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, and instant-dry yeast. Mix to combine.
- On slow speed, add the water to the dry ingredients. Once a dough forms, increase the speed until you have a smooth dough. The dough is kneaded enough if you can stretch it out very thin without tearing it. I call it the newspaper trick: if you can stretch the dough out so thin that you can read a newspaper article through it, it’s done!
- * If you don’t have a stand mixer use a large mixing bowl. With a wooden spoon, mix all the ingredients until well incorporated. Then take the dough out of the bowl onto the kitchen counter and start kneading with your hands until you have a smooth dough. Work those muscles 🙂
- Cover the bowl with a wet kitchen towel or a bowl cover (these are the ones I use, and I LOVE mine) and let it rest for about an hour and a half.
Folding:
- Preheat the oven to 482°F or 250°C. Place an oven-safe bowl filled with water onto the lower oven rack. The evaporating water will create steam needed at the beginning of the baking process.
- Take the dough out of the bowl and onto a lightly floured work surface. Cut it in half and form two round balls out of each half. Then cover the dough balls with a kitchen towel and let them rest for 20min.
- After 20 minutes, take one dough ball and push it down flat to get all the air out. Fold the top part 2/3 of the way down and press it into the dough. Next, take the left side, fold it a little over halfway to the right and press it down along the edges. Then, hit the dough down in the middle of the previously folded part with the side of your hand. Next, wrap the right side of the dough around to the left and press it firmly. This will create the so-called nose. Refer to the picture below with the step-by-step drawing of the folding process. Repeat with the other dough ball.
- Place the folded bread on a baking sheet close to each other. You want them to touch so that they will stick together when baking. Then, cover them up once more and let them rest for another 15-20 minutes.
- Take a sharp knife and make a straight cut right below the “nose” across the bread.
- Have a cup of lukewarm water ready next to the oven. Place the baking sheet in the oven. Be careful when you open the door; steam will come out. Next, take the cup and pour the water into the bowl in the oven. This added water will create some more steam! Close the oven door quickly after pouring the water; you don't want to lose any of the steam. Bake for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, turn down the heat to 392°F or 200°C, and open the oven door for about 15 seconds to let all the remaining moister from the steam out. Bake the bread for another 15min or until golden brown. If you flip the bread over and knock on it & it sounds hollow; it is done!
