Pain de Campagne (French Country Bread)
Pain de Campagne means “country bread,” and it’s the rustic loaf you’ll find on every French bistro table. This isn’t a pure white bread. It’s heartier and earthier, with a blend of flours that gives it character and depth. This is the bread meant to soak up the rich sauce from your Beef Bourguignon, to anchor a cheese board, or to simply tear apart with butter and good company.
My version uses 85% bread flour for structure and chew, 15% whole wheat for a subtle nuttiness and distinctive tang you taste in real French country bread. It’s leavened with sourdough levain, which means no commercial yeast needed—though I’ll give you the option to add a pinch if your starter needs backup or you’re in a hurry.
The result is a 500g boule with a thick, crackling crust and an open, irregular crumb. The kind of bread that makes that satisfying crunch when you tear it open. It lasts several days on the counter and actually tastes better the next day as the flavors develop. The crust softens slightly but the interior stays moist and complex.
This is classic French technique, but without the fussiness. You can make it same-day if you start in the morning, or use the overnight method if that fits your schedule better. Either way, you’re making real bread the way it’s meant to be made: with time, with care, and with your hands. No bread machine, no shortcuts. Just flour, water, salt, and patience.
The process takes time, but most of that is hands-off while the dough rises and develops flavor. Your active work is maybe 20 minutes total. The bread does the rest. That’s how traditional baking works—you guide it, but the dough tells you when it’s ready.
Pain de Campagne (French Country Bread)
Classic French country bread with 85% bread flour and 15% whole wheat for a rustic boule with a crackling crust and open crumb.
Ingredients
Method
- Autolyse: In a large bowl, combine 280g water and 180g active levain together. Mix with your hand until the levain disperses throughout the water. Add 340g bread flour, 60g whole wheat flour, and 6g diastatic malt powder to the same bowl. Mix everything with your hands until all the dry flour is incorporated and you have a shaggy, rough dough. It doesn't need to be smooth. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
- Add Salt: Sprinkle 11 grams salt evenly over dough. Pinch and fold into dough for 2-3 minutes until fully incorporated using your hands. Cover and wait 10 minutes.
- Fold: Perform 3 folds total. First fold at 10 minutes after mixing salt, second fold 30 minutes later, third fold 30 minutes after second fold. Wet hands, grab edge of dough, stretch up and fold over center. Rotate bowl 90°, repeat 4 times per fold session.
- Rest: Rest undisturbed until dough increases 50-75% in volume (approximately 4-5 hours total bulk fermentation). Dough should feel puffy with visible bubbles.
- Shape: Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Optional: Let rest 15-20 minutes if dough is tight. Shape into tight boule: Flip seam-side up, fold edges to center creating tension, flip seam-side down, cup hands around dough and drag in circles to build surface tension. Place seam-side UP in floured banneton or bowl lined with floured towel. Cover.
- Proof: Proof at room temperature 70 minutes. Cover with bread bag. Poke test: Gently poke with floured finger – should spring back slowly leaving slight indent.
- Preheat: Place Dutch oven with lid in cold oven. Turn oven to 475°F and preheat for 45-60 minutes (both oven and Dutch oven heat together).
- Score and Bake: Flip banneton onto parchment paper. Score with lame or sharp knife in your signature pattern. Carefully remove hot Dutch oven from oven. Lift parchment with dough into hot Dutch oven, cover immediately with lid.Option 1 (Balanced – Better Crust Color): Bake at 475°F with lid on for 20 minutes. Remove lid, reduce temp to 450°F. Bake uncovered at 450°F for 25-30 minutes until deep golden brown (internal temp 205-210°F)Option 2 (More Oven Spring – Foolproof): Bake at 475°F with lid on for 30 minutes. Remove lid, reduce temp to 450°F Bake uncovered at 450°F for 20 minutes until deep golden brown (internal temp 205-210°F)
- Cool: Remove from Dutch oven immediately. Cool on wire rack minimum 1 hour before cutting.
Notes
Malt powder magic: Diastatic malt powder is the secret ingredient that gives this bread its deep mahogany crust color, subtle sweetness, improved oven spring, and that classic French bakery aroma. It’s an enzyme-active powder that helps break down starches into sugars, which caramelizes beautifully during baking.
Water adjustment for malt: Water has been reduced by 6g (from 286g to 280g) to account for malt powder’s moisture absorption. If dough feels tight during mixing, add back 5-10g water gradually.
Levain check: Before starting, ensure levain has doubled in size, is very bubbly, and passes float test (spoonful floats in water). Peak levain is critical for good rise and flavor. Salt after autolyse: Salt is added after autolyse for better gluten development – this is traditional French technique. The 30-minute autolyse allows flour to fully hydrate and gluten to begin developing naturally. Water temperature guide: Adjust water temperature based on your kitchen: 75-80°F for warm kitchens (above 72°F), 85-90°F for normal kitchens (68-72°F), 90-95°F for cold kitchens (below 68°F). Goal is final dough temperature of 75-78°F. Folding technique: Each fold builds strength without kneading. Wet hands prevent sticking. The dough should feel noticeably stronger and smoother after each fold session.
Bulk fermentation timing: 4-5 hours is approximate. Watch the dough, not the clock. Look for 50-75% volume increase and a puffy, bubbly texture. Overproofing during bulk = dense bread. Underproofing = tight crumb. Shaping for tension: Proper shaping creates surface tension that helps the bread hold its shape and rise upward rather than spreading. The seam goes UP in the banneton so it’s on the bottom when you flip it out for baking.
Poke test for proofing: At 70 minutes, gently poke the dough with a floured finger. It should spring back slowly and leave a slight indent. If it springs back immediately = underproofed, keep going. If indent stays completely = overproofed, bake immediately.
Preheating is critical: Both the oven AND Dutch oven need to be screaming hot. This creates maximum oven spring. Don’t skip the 45-60 minute preheat. Scoring: Score just before baking. A deep, confident cut (1/4-1/2 inch deep) at a 45° angle creates the classic “ear.” Shallow scoring = no ear. Choosing your baking option: Option 1 gives better crust color and slightly longer bake time for fuller flavor development. Option 2 prioritizes maximum oven spring with longer covered time – choose this if you want dramatic rise and foolproof results. Both work excellent with malt powder. Baking temperature progression: Starting at 475°F creates initial oven spring and crust development. Dropping to 450°F after removing the lid prevents burning while achieving deep color. The lid traps steam for creating that crispy, blistered crust.
Crust color with malt: Expect a deeper, richer mahogany color compared to bread without malt. This is the malt sugars caramelizing – it’s beautiful and adds flavor. Don’t be alarmed if it looks darker than usual – that’s exactly what you want.
Internal temperature: Bread is done at 205-210°F internal temp. Use an instant-read thermometer in the bottom center of the loaf. Cooling is part of baking: The interior continues to set as it cools. Cutting too early = gummy texture. Wait at least 1 hour, preferably 2-3 hours for best texture. Overnight variation: After the third and final fold, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight 10-12 hours. Next morning, remove from fridge and let sit at room temperature 30-60 minutes to take the chill off. Shape into boule and place in banneton. Proof at room temp 90-120 minutes (cold dough takes longer). Use poke test to determine readiness. Bake as directed using either Option 1 or Option 2. Results in more complex, tangier flavor with slightly better crust development. Same-day timeline: This is a same-day bread with NO overnight retard. Start in the morning, bake in the late afternoon/early evening. Total time from mixing to baking is approximately 6-7 hours. Storage: Store cut-side down on cutting board at room temperature up to 2 days. Or slice and freeze in freezer bags up to 3 months. Toast frozen slices directly from freezer.
Troubleshooting dense bread: Most common causes are weak/inactive levain, insufficient bulk fermentation (didn’t rise 50-75%), or overproofing during final proof. Fix your levain and watch the dough, not the clock. No commercial yeast: This is pure levain bread. No instant yeast. If your levain isn’t strong enough to raise bread on its own, fix your levain maintenance schedule instead of adding yeast as a crutch. Banneton alternative: No banneton? Use a bowl lined with a well-floured tea towel. Rice flour works best for preventing sticking. Dutch oven alternative: A covered roasting pan or two stacked baking sheets can work, but results won’t be as good. The Dutch oven creates the perfect steam environment.
Levain check: Before starting, ensure levain has doubled in size, is very bubbly, and passes float test (spoonful floats in water). Peak levain is critical for good rise and flavor. Salt after autolyse: Salt is added after autolyse for better gluten development – this is traditional French technique. The 30-minute autolyse allows flour to fully hydrate and gluten to begin developing naturally. Water temperature guide: Adjust water temperature based on your kitchen: 75-80°F for warm kitchens (above 72°F), 85-90°F for normal kitchens (68-72°F), 90-95°F for cold kitchens (below 68°F). Goal is final dough temperature of 75-78°F. Folding technique: Each fold builds strength without kneading. Wet hands prevent sticking. The dough should feel noticeably stronger and smoother after each fold session.
Bulk fermentation timing: 4-5 hours is approximate. Watch the dough, not the clock. Look for 50-75% volume increase and a puffy, bubbly texture. Overproofing during bulk = dense bread. Underproofing = tight crumb. Shaping for tension: Proper shaping creates surface tension that helps the bread hold its shape and rise upward rather than spreading. The seam goes UP in the banneton so it’s on the bottom when you flip it out for baking.
Poke test for proofing: At 70 minutes, gently poke the dough with a floured finger. It should spring back slowly and leave a slight indent. If it springs back immediately = underproofed, keep going. If indent stays completely = overproofed, bake immediately.
Preheating is critical: Both the oven AND Dutch oven need to be screaming hot. This creates maximum oven spring. Don’t skip the 45-60 minute preheat. Scoring: Score just before baking. A deep, confident cut (1/4-1/2 inch deep) at a 45° angle creates the classic “ear.” Shallow scoring = no ear. Choosing your baking option: Option 1 gives better crust color and slightly longer bake time for fuller flavor development. Option 2 prioritizes maximum oven spring with longer covered time – choose this if you want dramatic rise and foolproof results. Both work excellent with malt powder. Baking temperature progression: Starting at 475°F creates initial oven spring and crust development. Dropping to 450°F after removing the lid prevents burning while achieving deep color. The lid traps steam for creating that crispy, blistered crust.
Crust color with malt: Expect a deeper, richer mahogany color compared to bread without malt. This is the malt sugars caramelizing – it’s beautiful and adds flavor. Don’t be alarmed if it looks darker than usual – that’s exactly what you want.
Internal temperature: Bread is done at 205-210°F internal temp. Use an instant-read thermometer in the bottom center of the loaf. Cooling is part of baking: The interior continues to set as it cools. Cutting too early = gummy texture. Wait at least 1 hour, preferably 2-3 hours for best texture. Overnight variation: After the third and final fold, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight 10-12 hours. Next morning, remove from fridge and let sit at room temperature 30-60 minutes to take the chill off. Shape into boule and place in banneton. Proof at room temp 90-120 minutes (cold dough takes longer). Use poke test to determine readiness. Bake as directed using either Option 1 or Option 2. Results in more complex, tangier flavor with slightly better crust development. Same-day timeline: This is a same-day bread with NO overnight retard. Start in the morning, bake in the late afternoon/early evening. Total time from mixing to baking is approximately 6-7 hours. Storage: Store cut-side down on cutting board at room temperature up to 2 days. Or slice and freeze in freezer bags up to 3 months. Toast frozen slices directly from freezer.
Troubleshooting dense bread: Most common causes are weak/inactive levain, insufficient bulk fermentation (didn’t rise 50-75%), or overproofing during final proof. Fix your levain and watch the dough, not the clock. No commercial yeast: This is pure levain bread. No instant yeast. If your levain isn’t strong enough to raise bread on its own, fix your levain maintenance schedule instead of adding yeast as a crutch. Banneton alternative: No banneton? Use a bowl lined with a well-floured tea towel. Rice flour works best for preventing sticking. Dutch oven alternative: A covered roasting pan or two stacked baking sheets can work, but results won’t be as good. The Dutch oven creates the perfect steam environment.
