Directions: |
Directions:In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, sugar and two teaspoons of salt. Make a well in the center of the mix, then pour in the buttermilk and water, and stir until the ingredients are well combined and the dough is wet and sticky. Cover the bowl and set aside in a warm-ish spot (room temperature is fine) for 24 hours. The dough will rise and then fall and should be full of bubbles.
Line the base of a large round cast-iron Dutch oven for which you have a lid with parchment paper, and brush both the paper and the sides of the pan with oil. Sprinkle half the polenta evenly over the pan base.
Transfer the wet dough to a flour-dusted work surface, scraping off any bits stuck to the sides of the bowl. Sprinkle the dough with more flour, dust your hands with flour, then fold the edges of the dough into the center. Flip the dough over, then tuck the edges underneath, to make a rough ball, dusting with more flour as you go, then lift the dough into the pan. Sprinkle the remaining polenta on top of the dough, clap on the lid and leave to proof and rise for two hours.
Twenty minutes before the bread has finished rising, heat the oven to 500°F (250°C). Once the dough has proofed, transfer the covered pot to the oven, bake for 20 minutes, then turn down the heat to 425°F (220°C) and bake for another 20 minutes. Turn down the heat again to 390°F (200°C), take the lid off the pan and bake for 35 minutes more, until the crust is dark brown (getting it pretty dark will ensure it remains crisp for longer). Remove from the oven, run a knife around the sides of the bread to release it from the pot, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool. |
This recipe for Buttermilk No-Knead Bread is from