Easiest bread you will ever make and totally great for a first timer!
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
(or half WW and half bread flour, I have also used 100% whole wheat and it worked out nicely!)
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 cups water
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran (optional)
Directions
1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups
water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover
bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably
about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly
flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little
more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with
plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work
surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball.
Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran
or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour,
bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for
about 2 hours. (
I skipped the towel and did this in the bowel as it was much easier to transfer to the pot after with no sticking.) When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size
and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450
degrees. Put a 6 to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex
or ceramic) in oven as it heats. (
I used a 4 quart as the 6-8 was way too big and I wanted a tall bread not low and flat. I also didn't preheat the pot because it's too tedious to get the dough into the hot pot.) When dough is ready, carefully remove
pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot,
seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once
or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it
bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake
another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a
rack.
Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.
Easy right? Granted it takes a bit of forethought and planning but
the results are well worth the wait. We love this bread sliced thick
with a bit of butter and liquid honey. It’s also great dipped in olive
oil and balsamic vinegar as a pre-dinner treat…mmmmm.
