Nutritional information per loaf

English Cottage Cob (Perfect Recipe)

Name: English Cottage Cob (Perfect Recipe)
Prep time: 4 h 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 400g White bread flour; 9g Fresh yeast (4g dried yeast); 7g Salt

Yeast Bread

An English cottage cob is a bread I often make myself. It is not seen often, probably because it’s tough to shape it correctly! This is a difficult bread recipe to master, so if you are up for the challenge, let’s give it a go!

Total Time

4:10

Difficulty

Tricky

Watch Recipe Video

00:32:04 min

Nutritional information per loaf

Simple Tasty Recipes

Ingredients for 1 Servings:

400g White bread flour
272g Water
9g Fresh yeast (4g dried yeast)
7g Salt

Using active dried yeast or instant yeast to make Cottage cobs

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 20 grams of water to 35C (95F), add the yeast with half a teaspoon of sugar, whisk and leave to stand for ten minutes before adding to the dough. Remove 20 grams of water from the recipe.

Changing the size of the recipe

This recipe makes one large cottage cob. If you want to change the batch size or make the other loaves of bread shown in the video, use the bakers formula. This is a spreadsheet you can download to change the recipe ingredients depending on the amount of dough you would like.

Total Recipe Time

Preparation Time

4:10
Cooking Time

0.40

Goes Great with

We are using the same recipe as the tiger and bloomer bread. See the video for how to make all three from the same dough mix. This recipe makes one cob and takes around 4 hours, which is quite a quick bread to make. The challenge for this recipe is for it not to explode erratically in the oven. If this happens to you, proof the dough a little longer next time.

What you need to make cottage cobs:

A peel or board to proof the cobs and slide them into the oven or a heavy-duty baking tray lined with baking paper
Mixing bowls
A metal and plastic dough scraper
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
A lame or sharp serrated knife

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 24C and 27C (75-80F).

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 you have.

Can I use a Dutch oven to make this recipe?

Yes, if you would rather use a Dutch oven to make this cottage bread recipe, you won’t need to add steam to the oven. Simply preheat the dutch oven and drop the dough inside on a sheet of parchment paper to bake. If you want a Dutch oven, try this one from Challenger.

Step-By-Step Method For This Recipe

1) Weigh the ingredients

Weigh the ingredients, keeping the dry ones separated from the wet ones. Start blooming the yeast if you are using the active dried variety.

2) Start kneading!!

Add the ingredients into a mixing bowl and use a plastic dough scraper around the edges of the bowl to combine the ingredients. After a minute or so, take the dough onto the table and use some long stretching motions to knead the dough gently. Continue for 8 minutes, then put the dough back in the bowl and then in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Using a dough mixer:

Add the ingredients into a dough mixer with a dough hook. Mix on slow speed for 7 minutes, or until the dough is nice and elastic. Then increase the speed and knead for another 5 minutes. Put the dough into a bowl and take a temperature reading. If it’s above 26C (78F), cover it and put it in the fridge. If it’s cooler than 26C (78F) cover and leave it at room temperature. Skip to step 4.

3) Fast knead the dough

Take the dough onto the table and knead as fast as possible for 7 more minutes. At the end of this, the dough should be reasonably stiff, with signs of a strong gluten network appearing.

4) The first rise (bulk ferment)

Put the dough into a mixing bowl, cover it, and leave it to rest on the work surface for one hour.

5) Stretch and fold

Knock back the dough or complete a stretch and fold.

6) Bulk fermentation…

Take a temperature reading of the dough. If it’s above 26C (78F), place it in the fridge. If it’s cooler, leave it out on the table, covered for another hour.

7) Pre shaping

Remove the dough from the bowl using a dough scraper onto a lightly flour-dusted area of a workbench. Pre-shape into a round ball and allow to rest for ten minutes.

8) Dividing

Divide into two, at a 60:40 ratio and mould into balls, pushing as much air out of the dough as possible. Leave to bench rest for another ten minutes.

9) Final shape

Press as much air out as possible and shape them into two round balls again. Put the large one down on a lightly floured workbench and very lightly flatten. Put the smaller ball on top, dust it with flour and press down in the centre with two fingers. Push hard to form the characteristic hole. The pieces should stick together. Apply some pressure around the edges if they look uneven.

10) Score it

Cottage loaves are cut before they undergo the final rise. Apply 5 – 6 cuts around the edges, cutting both the top and the bottom with each cut – the top piece should but cut deeper than the bottom. Place onto a flour dusted board.

11) Final proof

Leave to rise for around 45 minutes. Poke in the hole every now and again to stretch it and to keep the bread rising evenly.

12) Bake time!!

Use a peel to slide the bread into the oven, adding plenty of steam as they go in. Drop the temperature to 230C (450F) and bake for a total of 35 – 45 minutes.

If you are using steam its best practice to open the oven door to let the steam out after 20-25 minutes. This helps with the colour and texture of the crust.