Sliced loaf according to GOST
To bake a sliced loaf according to GOST standards, measure out the necessary ingredients. The temperature of the warm water should not exceed 35 degrees Celsius, and the butter should be at room temperature.
First, make the dough. To do this, crumble the yeast into warm water, stir, and add flour to form a smooth, soft dough. I followed the recipe exactly, but my flour was too strong, and the dough turned out a bit thick. I always need less flour than stated. If this is the case for you, you can easily fix it by adding 1-2 tablespoons of water. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and a towel and leave it in a warm place to rise for 2-2.5 hours. The time will depend on the temperature in your kitchen.
The dough has risen. Dissolve the salt and sugar in the glass with the remaining water.
Pour the water into the dough and stir it with your hand until combined. Then add the remaining flour.
Knead the dough until all the flour is incorporated. The dough will be very sticky.
Knead the softened butter into the dough. The dough will flake a lot after this, but you need to knead it on the counter until it's completely smooth. If you're having a hard time kneading it and the stickiness bothers you, lightly oil your hands with vegetable oil.
Knead and punch the dough down for at least 10 minutes. Grease a bowl with vegetable oil and place the smooth dough ball in it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place to rise. After 50 minutes, punch down the dough once.
Kneading is done like this: remove the dough from the bowl and knead it again on a lightly oiled surface. Form it into a ball, then return it to the bowl for another 30-40 minutes to rise. After this process, the dough becomes incredibly firm, bubbling and squeaking in your hands.
When the dough has risen a second time, divide it in half, shape it into rounds again, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Don't dust the surface with flour anymore; just lightly grease it with oil.
Then roll each loaf into a 16x20 cm rectangle, 1 cm thick. Turn it over so the smooth side is facing down, with the rough side facing up. Once the loaf is formed, the smooth side will be on top.
Begin shaping the loaf by rolling the dough and pressing it downwards with your fingers to form a tight roll. Tuck the ends in as well. Be sure to pinch the seam and roll the loaf on the table to smooth it out.
When doing this, lightly press only the ends of the loaf and do not touch the middle, so that the ends are slightly thinner than the center.
Place the loaves on a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet. Cover to prevent drying and let rise for an hour to an hour and a half.
Then, brush the loaves with warm water and make 5 slits on each with a sharp knife or blade. Bake in an oven preheated to 190 degrees Celsius (375 degrees Fahrenheit) on the middle rack. Place another baking sheet on the bottom rack so it has time to heat up with the oven. Sprinkle half a cup of water on the hot bottom baking sheet to create steam. Bake the loaves for about 30 minutes, depending on your oven.
The sliced loaves, according to GOST standards, are ready. Cool them a bit and slice them. They're delicious, and they don't contain any flavor enhancers.
