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Home » Recipes » Savory Bread Recipes

Crusty English Bloomer Bread

Published: Sep 6, 2018 · Modified: Apr 3, 2024 by Emma Fajcz · As an Amazon Influencer, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Whether you're a beginning baker or an expert, you will enjoy making this simple recipe for crusty English bloomer bread.  Enjoy it with sweet or savory toppings, or with butter.

If you're looking for other savory breads, you'll definitely want to try this Cob loaf and this Macaroni Grill rosemary bread.

holding a slice of English bloomer loaf
Jump to:
  • How to Make
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Serve
  • Expert Tips
  • Other Breads You'll Love
  • Recipe
  • Comments

How to Make

Measure out all five ingredients: bread flour, salt, yeast, butter, and water.

ingredients for English bloomer loaf

Add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl, then stir them in with your finger.  Add the butter, then gradually add the water and mix until a sticky dough forms.

dough for English bloomer loaf

Knead the dough until it's smooth, stretchy, and passes the windowpane test.  It also should lose some of its stickiness.

kneaded dough for English bloomer loaf

Place the dough in a buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it prove at room temperature until at least doubled in size, 1 ½ to 2 hours.

risen dough for English bloomer loaf

Punch down the dough all over, then shape into a rectangle.

rectangle of dough for English bloomer loaf

Fold the ends into the center.

shaping dough for English bloomer loaf

Roll up the dough tightly from one of the long sides to create the bloomer shape.

English bloomer loaf on cutting board

Place the loaf on a cookie sheet, cover, and let rise until nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.

risen English bloomer loaf on a cookie sheet

Cut a few diagonal slashes on top of the loaf with a sharp serrated knife or baker's lame, then bake at 425 F for 30 minutes.  Lower the heat to 400 F and bake for another 10-15 minutes.  Let it cool on a wire rack for at least 45 minutes before slicing to allow it to finish baking inside.

English bloomer loaf on a cooling rack

Recipe FAQs

What is a bloomer loaf?

A bloomer loaf is a cylindrical English bread with diagonal slashes on top.  Most bloomers have a thick, crunchy crust and a soft, white interior.  For more information, check out this article from Cook's Info.

Why is it called a "bloomer"?

The term refers to the way the loaf is shaped.  Instead of being put into a pan like many breads, it's shaped and allowed to rise free form-- called "blooming."

Can I freeze it?

Yes, you absolutely can freeze leftover bread.  Simply seal it inside of a zip-top freezer bag, press out the extra air, and freeze for up to 1 month.  Defrost at room temperature or in the toaster.

Serve

Serve this English bloomer bread with a cozy bowl of creamy wild rice soup or with a slice of savory pie, like this chicken and mushroom pie or chicken and leek pie. This bread would also taste delicious in a ploughman's lunch, or even when used for tea sandwiches like crab salad sandwiches or cucumber sandwiches.

Expert Tips

  • Keep the salt away from the yeast when you're making the dough, since it can kill or retard the yeast's growth.
  • Add the water to the flour mixture a little at a time.  The brand of flour you're using can affect the amount of water you need in the dough, so go by feel and not measurement.  The dough should be sticky enough to get your fingers messy!
  • Knead thoroughly.  Make sure the dough passes the windowpane test before you allow the dough to rise (called proving).  See the recipe below for an explanation of this technique.
  • Prove slowly.  The longer the dough rests, the more flavor it will have.  If you're in a hurry, just make the dough the night before and let it rise in the fridge overnight.  You can shape, prove, and bake the bloomer the following day.
  • Roll up the dough tightly when you shape the bloomer.  A tight roll will help the dough rise up instead of out, creating a much more attractive bloomer.

Other Breads You'll Love

  • baked muffaletta bread sliced in half on a cutting board.
    Perfect Muffaletta Bread
  • sliced cob loaf on a cutting board.
    Easy Cob Loaf Recipe
  • plate of crumpets with tea and marmalade
    English Crumpets Recipe
  • sliced Irish brown bread on a cutting board
    Irish Brown Bread

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Recipe

English bloomer loaf on cooling rack with slices

Crusty English Bloomer Bread

This classic English bloomer bread is the perfect yeast recipe for beginners—it only takes 5 ingredients!  Learn how to make one crusty loaf with a Kitchenaid mixer or by hand.
4.8 from 6 votes
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Course: Bread
Cuisine: British
Diet: Vegetarian
Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
Inactive Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 3 hours hours 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 186kcal
Author: Brooke & Emma

Ingredients
 

  • 4 cups + 3 tablespoons bread flour
  • 3 teaspoons fast-action yeast
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ⅓ cup water

Equipment

  • dough hook
  • Cookie sheet
  • digital thermometer
Keep your screen on while you work!

Instructions

Making the Dough

  • Pour the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl, stirring in each one with your finger.  Make sure they don't touch each other directly, as the salt can kill or stunt the yeast.
  • Dump in the softened butter and half of the water, then turn the mixer on low speed.  Gradually trickle in the remaining water and keep mixing until a smooth, sticky dough forms.  You may not need all the water, or you might need a little extra, depending upon the brand of flour.
  • Switch the attachment to a dough hook and knead on medium-low speed for 3-5 minutes, until the dough passes the windowpane test.  Test it by breaking off a lump of dough and stretching it between the thumb and forefinger of each hand to create a windowpane.  If the dough stretches to be translucent without breaking, it's kneaded enough; if not, knead for a minute longer and check again.
  • Shape the dough into a ball, place in a buttered bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Let the dough prove at room temperature until at least doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Shaping the Bloomer

  • Turn the dough onto a floured surface and punch it down all over to knock out pockets of gas.
  • Shape the dough into a rectangle about 9 inches wide, then fold the two ends into the middle.  Roll up the loaf tightly from one of the long sides to create the bloomer.  Pinch the seam to seal, then place it seam-side down on a large cookie sheet.
  • Place the loaf inside a large, clean garbage bag and inflate the bag.  Tuck the ends underneath the tray to seal.  Let the loaf prove at room temperature until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  • About 10 minutes before the loaf is done proving, preheat the oven to 425°F.  Place an old metal baking pan in the lower shelf of the oven to preheat.

Baking the Bloomer

  • Just before baking the loaf, remove the garbage bag and cut a few diagonal slashes on the top of the loaf with a sharp serrated knife or baker's lame.
  • Place the loaf in the oven, then immediately pour some tap water into the hot metal pan underneath the loaf and quickly shut the oven door.  This will create steam, which will give the loaf a hearty crust.  Bake at 425 F for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the pan of water, lower the heat to 400°F, and bake for another 10-15 minutes.  The loaf should be a rich golden brown and have an internal temperature of 200°F with a meat thermometer.
  • Allow the loaf to cool on a wire rack for at least 45 minutes before slicing and serving.  The cooling time allows the bread to finish cooking all the way through.  Cutting it too soon will give you a gummy interior.

Notes

  • Feel free to make this by hand if you don't have a stand mixer.  Just stir and crush the dough with your hand to mix, then knead on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes.
  • This bread is incredibly versatile, and can be served with sweet or savory toppings.  Make it into sandwiches, appetizers, or breadcrumbs.
  • Store leftovers in a zip-top bag at room temperature, or freeze for longer storage.
  • The pleasure of a 5-star review for this recipe would be greatly appreciated.

Nutrition

Calories: 186kcal (9%)Carbohydrates: 31g (10%)Protein: 6g (12%)Fat: 4g (6%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 8mg (3%)Sodium: 397mg (17%)Potassium: 72mg (2%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Vitamin A: 90IU (2%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 9mg (1%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kirk Lisuzzo

    March 20, 2023 at 5:27 am

    5 stars
    An AMAZING find! I can't find time enough to bake this gem of a recipe due to all the requests from family and friends. Thank you for sharing this MILLION $$$ classic!!! I doubled the recipe and made them in tins, they came out BEAUTIFUL. I wish I could attach pictures!
    THANK YOU!!!

    Reply
    • Emma

      March 20, 2023 at 6:19 am

      That's wonderful, Kirk! Thank you for making our recipe; we're happy you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  2. Peter

    March 01, 2023 at 11:20 am

    Great recipe thanks, can I ask why your Cob loaf has sugar and this bloomer does not?,
    Many thanks 🙂

    Reply
    • Emma

      March 02, 2023 at 8:24 am

      Thank you, Peter! I wanted a slightly softer result for the Cob loaf, so I added a little sugar to that recipe. Feel free to add a touch of sugar to the bloomer as well if you prefer.

      Reply
  3. Lynne

    January 13, 2023 at 12:01 pm

    5 stars
    WOW it worked. I’ve stopped baking as arthritis in my hands just too bad. Decided for 2023 to get myself a stand mixer, bought a Kenwood Chef. I tried another recipe with olive oil and it was stodgy. I just couldn’t ‘feel’ the dough. I did yours but I did knead for 8 minutes, after talking to friends about stand mixers. I also reduced the salt to 6g simply because we don’t like salty bread. Being From West Wales that is unusual as the bread here is always on the salty side. Your recipe had 10g yeast and the other I tried only 7g and I think that’s why yours worked, I think it’s something to do with the mixer as always used 7g by hand.

    Both my husband and myself send you a large Thank You it’s not the first of your recipes that have wowed us! I doubt it will be the last.

    Reply
    • Emma

      January 14, 2023 at 7:56 am

      That's lovely to hear, Lynne! I'm so pleased that you and your husband enjoyed the bloomer bread so much! Happy baking.

      Reply
  4. James P

    November 25, 2022 at 5:48 pm

    4 stars
    I adore making this bread with my boyfriend. It never fails.
    I find it nice to add garlic, onion, herbs, poppy seeds, and sesame seeds. It produces a lovely savory bread.

    Reply
    • Emma

      November 26, 2022 at 7:19 am

      I'm so glad you enjoyed this bread, James! Thank you for your review!

      Reply
  5. Sandra L Irick

    January 24, 2022 at 9:51 am

    5 stars
    A very nice bread. Beautiful texture, slight crisp to the crust, good flavor. I made this for a family get together where it was paired with meats, cheeses, etc. Everyone loved it.

    Reply
    • Emma

      January 24, 2022 at 3:33 pm

      That's lovely to hear, Sandra! I'm so glad that you and everyone at the gathering enjoyed it!

      Reply
  6. Anne Hicks

    October 18, 2021 at 7:03 pm

    5 stars
    Wow. The best bread recipe I have ever found. So easy to make. Can't wait to try it in the morning . It is huge .

    Reply
    • Emma

      October 19, 2021 at 7:12 am

      That's wonderful to hear, Anne! Thank you for making our recipe, and enjoy your homemade bread!

      Reply
  7. Beth

    October 21, 2019 at 4:07 pm

    5 stars
    I am an avid bread lover, and there isn't a bread on the planet that isn't a good friend of mine. This one is a bit crusty, and the delightfully soft interior is great.

    Reply
    • Emma

      October 22, 2019 at 7:14 am

      😂 Bread is such a wonderful food!! 🍞 I'm glad that you enjoy this bloomer bread, too.

      Reply
  8. Joani

    January 08, 2019 at 11:31 am

    Hello there. I just wanted to say I'm new to bread baking and your "ingredients" list had me confused for a second. It lists 4 and 3/16 cups of bread flour. Upon clicking on the link that gives baking instructions, however, I see that it is actually 4 cups and 3 Tbsps. Just thought you might want to correct this.

    Reply
    • Emma

      January 08, 2019 at 3:42 pm

      Hi Joani! Pinterest chose to list the amount of bread flour as 4 3/16 cups. Unfortunately, there isn't much I can do to fix this.

      Reply

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We're Brooke & Emma Fajcz, the mother-daughter team behind Savor the Flavour. Increase your kitchen confidence with our recipes, instructional photos, and helpful tips and facts. Our recipes have been featured in Oprah Magazine, The Guardian, Parade, Insider, Delish, and BuzzFeed.

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English bloomer loaf on cooling rack with slices
holding a slice of English bloomer loaf