Directions: |
Directions:In a large bowl combine flour, yeast, and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended with wooden spoon, dough will be saggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or plastic lid. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature.
Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a flexible cutting board and place dough on it. Sprinkle with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Cover with a cotton towel (not terry cloth) and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
At least a half hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 400º. Put a 3.5 to 6 quart heavy covered pot, (cast iron, enamel, pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under cutting mat and turn dough over into the pot, seam side up, it may look like a mess, but that's ok! Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed, it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake for another 5-7 minutes until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack. |
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