Directions: |
Directions:In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, herb blend, and salt. Add the water and stir until blended. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise for at least 12, preferably 18 hours, in a warm space, about 70 degrees.
Note: Less water is needed in high humidity. Dough should be sticky and clumpy.
Dough is ready when it's surface is dotted with bubbles.
Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it. (I usually use whole wheat flour here. Sometimes I use a bit of corn meal.) Sprinkle the bread with a little more flour, and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a sheet of parchment paper or non-stick pan liner with flour and place the dough on it. Cover with a floured tea towel (not a terrycloth type), and let it set for 2 hours.
About 1/2 hour before the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 450. Put a 6-8 quart covered pot (cast iron, enamel...) into the oven to preheat. When the dough is ready, simply pick up the parchment paper with the dough, and place the whole thing into the hot pot. Shake the pot a bit to settle the dough. Trim the parchment to the edge of the pot. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, brush the bread with olive oil; and bake for 15 minutes more, or until the loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack. |