This must be the easiest bread in the world to make - especially if you live in Florida where the fresh air temperature is over 70 degrees day and most nights i.e. a perfect 'rising' temperature.
Pros:
It is an incredible crusty, peasant bread.
It takes very little time.
It uses very little yeast.
It works! Even for people who can't a standard loaf. Like me.
Cons:
It uses very little yeast so it doesn't have that super-yeasty smell.
You have to be there each time it needs a few minutes of your attention.
It is way too delicious. Eating just one slice is impossible.
You do have to think ahead - 17-23 hours ahead!
Ingredients:
3 cups flour (use hard, red wheat for the best results)
1 5/8 cups of water (is that just over 1/2 or just under 3/4)
1/4 tsp instant yeast (I didn't have instant yeast - i used ordinary dried yeast)
1 1/4 tsp salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed
In a large-ish bowl combine flour, yeast and salt.
Add water and stir well. The dough will be shaggy and sticky.
Cover the bowl with a plate (I put a bread board on top as added encouragement!)
Let dough rest for 12-18 hours (the longer the better) at room temp i.e. about 70 degrees.
The dough is ready when the surface is dotted with bubbles.
Lightly flour work surface and tip dough onto it.
Sprinkle dough with flour and fold it over a few times.
I folded it four times because it felt so delicious.Cover loosely (I turned the bowl over it) and let it rest for about 15 minutes
Using enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to anything, quickly and gently shape it into a ball.
Lay out a cotton (kitchen) towel (not terry cloth) and sprinkle an area the size of a dinner plate with flour, cornmeal or wheat bran.
Place the dough on the towel with the seam side of the bread facing down.
Dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal.
Cover with another cotton towel and let it rise for about 2 hours.
When it is about double in size and doesn't readily spring back when poked with a finger it's ready to bake!
Towards the end of this last 'rise' place a 6- to 8- quart, heavy covered pot * in the oven and heat it to 450 degrees.
When the dough and the oven are both ready very carefully remove the pot from the oven (it will be really really hot) and place on a board.
Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up (don't worry if it looks a bit messy - it will be fine).
Shake the pan once or twice if the dough is unevenly distributed.
Cover with the lid and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid and bake for another 15 - 30 minutes or until the loaf is beautifully browned.
Remove the loaf from the pan and cool on a rack.
I bet you a million dollars you can't wait until it is cool to cut into it and eat a slice or three!I could not. Warm, fresh-baked bread dripping with butter and honey melting into its wholiness is out of this world!!
Yield: One 1 1/2 pound loaf
Additional NotesThis recipe is from The Week (April 18, 2008) - you'll need a subscription to read the full article. It was created by Jim Lahey, owner of the Sullivan Street Bakery in SoHo.
The original recipe uses plastic wrap for covering the dough at each stage. I didn't do that because of the possibility of unwanted chemicals being introduced into a divine baking process.
A 'heavy pan' would be cast iron, enamel, pyrex or ceramic.
I used a 10" cast iron skillet - it's all I have - so even though I cooked the whole loaf uncovered it worked brilliantly.
My first loaf took less time to cook than recommended in the recipe - only 40 minutes to transform into a crusty, golden brown-ness.
