Directions: |
Directions:In a very large bowl add water, then salt. Sprinkle yeast over the top. Wisk. Add flour. Mix completely with a wooden spoon.
Cover, not too tight, and let rest on counter for 2 hours. Dough will rise and fall in this time if the kitchen is warm. If it is chilly, it may take longer. You can form loves at this time. One fourth of the dough is a good size.
OR--You can transfer to fridge, keeping it covered but poke a couple tiny holes in the plastic wrap for gases to escape.
FRESH Dough
After the initial 2 hour rise on the counter, Preheat your oven, baking stone, and broiler pan to 450º. The baking stone should be on the middle shelf and the broiler pan the next shelf down and to the right or left of the stone. You will be pouring water into the broiler pan so placing it off center will make this easier.
Note-- This is a very wet dough. Sprinkle flour as needed so you can handle it. Refrigerated dough is easier to handle but fresh dough bakes up lighter and rises more.
Get a baking sheet without a lip and line it with parchment. If the dough is FRESH, sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, pulling it away from the sides of your container and pulling 1/4 of it out which is approx. 1# and the size of a grape fruit.
Tucking the dough under while rotating it, you will form a round shape. Don't knead it or work it too hard. It won't be perfect. You can fit all 4 dough balls on a round pizza stone or just bake one. It's okay if they end up touching. Sprinkle lightly with flour. Let it rest 20 to 40 minutes before baking.
Before placing in the oven, be sure to give it another light sprinkle of flour and slash the top of the bread.
When you're ready to slide it in the oven, get 1 measuring cup of hot tap water, place it close to the oven so you have everything you need and don't have to open the oven for long. Slide your parchment and bread onto the hot baking stone, pour the water into the hot broiler pan and shut the door. Set a timer for 34 minutes or until the bread is 190º. DO NOT open the oven to check on it.
When it's done, slide your baking sheet under it and the parchment. Slide the bread loaves onto a cooling rack and let them come to room temp. Enjoy.
If I make the bread with refrigerated dough, after I form it, I let it rest at room temp for 40 to 90 minutes for a 1# free form loaf as described above.
OFFICIAL DIRECTIONS
On baking day, take out about 1/2 the dough or 2 #. Place in a prepared loaf pan. Let it rest on the counter to warm up for an hour or so. After about 1/2 hour, preheat the oven with a broiler pan on the bottom shelf. Once your dough has been out in the pan about an hour and your oven has been preheating for about 1/2 an hour, dress up your loaf. Sprinkle it with flour, salt, oats, granola, seeds, whatever. Then slash the dough several times. Get 1 cup of warm water ready. Place your loaf in the oven and as quickly as you can without hurting yourself, pour the 1 cup of water into the broiler pan and close the oven. Let it bake approx 1 hour. Loaf should be browned, sound hollow and be at least 205º internally. Remove from oven and cool immediately on cooling rack. Only slice when the bread comes to room temperature.
For Stone Baking: Pull 2# of dough out and shape, placing the round onto parchment. You can put oats, seeds or cornmeal down to enhance flavor. You don't have to use parchment it you have a peel. I don't so...Place stone and broiler pan into oven. Heat to 450º. Dough should rest on counter about an hour and oven should preheat about 1/2 an hour. Doll up the dough, slash and get ready to slide it onto the stone. Once bread is placed on the stone, immediately pour the water into the broiler pan and close the oven. Bake about 30 minutes. Test for color depth, hollow sound, temp of 205º to 210º. Let cool completely on wire rack before cutting. |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: You may add stuff in like cheese, dried and floured olives, cranberries, raisins, nuts, etc. Let it rise an extra 20 minutes for up to 90 minutes total before baking. Double or triple this recipe for fresh bread every day. Last 2 weeks. If adding fruit to the dough itself, then it lasts 5 days.
This dough can be used for flat breads, pizza, cinnamon rolls, stromboli and more.
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