“Bloomer” Bread
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Description
Bloomer refers to a British white bread that’s perfect for paninis or even just PB&J.
Ingredients
- 500g bread flour
- 50ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt ( 10g)
- 2 tsp instant yeast ( 9g)
- around 300mls water
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients and add water gradually to form soft dough, either using hand kneading or stand mixer with hook attachment.
- Oil your hands and knead the dough briefly. Leave to rise in greased bowl until triples in size.
- Punch down the air gently and make a rectangle shape.
- Fold the edges like envelope, and roll the dough with edges at the bottom.
- Sprinkle top with water and dust with flour. Make few deep slashes diagonally with very sharp knife in single motion.
- Leave to rise again for 30-45 mins and preheat the oven and pizza stone at 220C.
- If using two racks in oven, fill the tray below with water to create steam whilst baking.
- Transfer bread to bake on pizza stone for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 200C and continue for another 10 to 15 minutes until top is golden.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 160
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this recipe bake on a pizza stone with a tray of water in the oven?
The pizza stone (preheated at 220°C) gives the bloomer a strong burst of bottom heat that helps the bread spring up quickly. The tray of water placed below creates steam, which keeps the crust soft during the initial rise in the oven and produces the characteristic glossy, crackling crust as the steam dissipates — a technique used in professional bread ovens.
How do I shape the bloomer correctly?
After punching down the risen dough, flatten it into a rectangle, fold the edges in like an envelope, then roll the dough with the seam side down. Sprinkle the top with water, dust with flour, then make several deep diagonal slashes with a very sharp knife in one single motion per cut — multiple passes will deflate the dough. 
How do I know when the bloomer is fully baked?
Bake at 220°C for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200°C and continue for another 10–15 minutes until the top is golden. A fully baked loaf will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
