Nutritional information per loaf
Calories: 1653kcal | Carbohydrates: 345g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 22mg
Campaillou Recipe | Chewy French Bread Recipe
Campaillou is seriously one of my favourite breads. It’s a beautiful bread with a light, open crumb and deliciously crisp and chewy crust. My girlfriend gets weirded out by my love of it!!
Nutritional information per loaf
Calories: 1653kcal | Carbohydrates: 345g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 22mg
Ingredients for 1 Servings:
For the poolish:
- 150g White bread flour
- 150g Water
- 0.5g Fresh yeast (0.25 dried)
For the dough:
- 300g White bread flour
- 201g 1st water
- 4.5g Fresh yeast (2g active dried)
- 7g Salt
- 15g 2nd water
How to make Campaillou with instant or active yeast:
If using instant yeast, divide the amount of fresh yeast used by three and follow the same method as fresh yeast.
Active dried yeast needs to be activated before use. In this case, warm the water for the poolish to 37-43C (100-110F). Add the yeast to the bowl, whisk and leave for 10 minutes to bloom. Combine the flour for the poolish with yeasty water, and place the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to cool. Return to the worktop and allow it to ferment as above.
When ready to start the dough, warm 10 grams of water to 37-43C (100-110F) and add the yeast with half a teaspoon of sugar. Whisk and leave to stand for ten minutes before adding to the dough. Remove 10 grams of the 1st water addition from the recipe.
Changing the size of the recipe
This recipe makes one large-sized bread. If you want to change the size of the recipe, use the baker’s formula. If you increase the size of the recipe to make more loaves, divide the dough pieces before the final bench rest.
Total Recipe Time
Goes Great with
The “Chewy brown” is extremely popular in Brighton. Produced by Real Patisserie, it was the first bread I fell in love with.
Through researching this bread, I discovered the original chewy bread, the pain campaillou.
What makes this bread popular in the Busby household is how quick and easy it is to make. It doesn’t even need shaping!
This rustic loaf takes around 15 – 18 hours to make, which includes the making of an overnight poolish preferment.
Authentic campaillou uses campaillou flour, from France. It is possible to get campaillou flour in other countries but it is expensive. If you can get T55 or T65 French flour you can make a beautiful chewy white bread like this one, but any decent bread flour will make a great campaillou style bread.
What you need to make a Campaillou bread
To make this amazing rustic bread, you’ll need the following equipment:
- Mixing bowls
- A metal and plastic dough scraper
- A board or baker’s peel to transfer the dough into the oven
- A lid or some plastic wrap (something to cover the bowl)
- Scales, if you don’t have a decent set you might want to try these scales from Myweigh
- A baking stone
Using a thermometer will help you with controlling proofing times. For accurate dough temperature readings try this thermometer from Gdealer. Aim for dough temperature between 25C and 30C (77-86F).
What if I don’t have a baking stone?
A baking stone conducts heat into the loaf. Using one increases the height of the oven spring and helps to give an even bake on the base of the loaf. If you don’t have a baking stone, preheat the thickest baking sheet that you have.
Can I use a Dutch oven to make this recipe?
Yes, preheat the Dutch oven to 240C. When ready to bake, drop the dough on a sheet of parchment paper. If you need a Dutch oven, try this one from Challenger.
Do I need to make a poolish preferment?
Because of the reduced second rise, this bread recipe benefits significantly from the added dough maturity the poolish provides. Without the poolish, the bread is unlikely to rise as well in the oven, and you’ll end up with a dense crumb. If you want a simple bread without a poolish, try my beginner’s bread recipe and proof it in a couche.
Step-By-Step Method For This Recipe
1) Prepare the poolish
Make the poolish 12-14 hours before starting the dough by whisking the yeast and the water together. Once dissolved, add the flour and gently mix for a minute or two until the mixture has a fairly even consistency. Cover and leave on the kitchen table for 12-14 hours. The poolish is ready when you can see bubbles breaking up the surface.
2) Weigh the ingredients and combine
The next day, weigh the ingredients and add the poolish to the water. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, excluding the 2nd water.
3) Incorporate the ingredients
Use a plastic dough scraper around the edges of the bowl to combine the ingredients first. After a minute or so, take the dough onto the table.
Using a dough mixer?
Add the poolish, flour, 1st water, yeast and salt to a dough mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Knead at a slow speed for 5 minutes, then increase the speed for a further 8 minutes. Slow the mixer, add the 2nd water and continue kneading slowly. Once the dough has pulled together, knead fast for 2 minutes to fully incorporate. Skip to step 8.
4) Slow knead the dough
Knead gently with long stretching motions for 8 minutes. By now, the dough will have an even consistency. If the dough lacks cohesion, continue kneading for a few more minutes.
5) Allow the dough to rest
Place the dough back in the mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a bag and leave it to rest for 15 minutes. If the dough is warm (above 23C), put it in the fridge
6) Fast knead the dough
Take the dough out of the bowl and knead fast for 5 minutes. Cover again, and place in the fridge for 5 minutes. This will cool the dough so it can be kneaded some more.
7) Add the 2nd water
Remove the dough from the fridge and add the 2nd water to the bowl. Push the dough into the water until it incorporates – it can be quite tricky to get the water to combine but persevere! Once combined, remove the dough from the bowl and fast knead on the table for 2 minutes.
8) Bulk fermentation
Place the dough back in the bowl, cover and leave to rest. If the dough is warm and sticky (use a temperature probe, to be precise), use the fridge. Otherwise, it can be left on the kitchen counter. Leave for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 250C (480F). For best results, use a baking stone.
Keep an eye in temperature during the process, keep taking readings if you have a thermometer. Try to cool the environment to keep the dough temperature just below 28C (82F).
9) Stretch and fold
Remove the dough from the bowl and complete a stretch and fold.
10) Bulk fermentation continued
Return the dough to the mixing bowl, cover and leave to rest for one hour or until the dough is gassy and double its original size.
11) Use a stretch and fold to shape the bread
Complete another stretch and fold, but this time place the dough on a lightly floured area of the worktop after folding.
12) Final proof
Leave the dough to rise on the table for a short 20-minute rise.
13) Baking
Gently pick up the dough and turn it upside down on a peel. Drop the bread into the oven, adding a small amount of steam. Bake on the stone for 35-40 minutes, opening the oven door halfway through to release the steam.
14) Remove from the oven
Once the bread has a nice, light golden colour, remove it from the oven using a peel and allow it to cool.
15) Cooling
Once you are happy that your bread is baked and is out of the oven, leave it to cool on a cooling rack for 2-3 hours before tucking in!
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