- 4
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups ice water, as close to 32 degrees as possible
- 2 teaspoons dry active yeast
- 6 cups bread flour
- 1/3 cup wheat germ, toasted
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- cornmeal for dusting
Preparation
Step 1
I fill an eight cup measure half with ice and the rest with cold water. Then I pour off the cold water in the measurements called for.
In the bowl of a mixer place 1/4 cup of ice water and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let the yeast dissolve.
Add the remainding 2 1/4 cups of the ice water, the flour, wheat germ and salt. Mix with a dough hook. As the dough comes together add the olive oil. The dough probably won't even gather around hook but should pull around it. If it seems to loose error on the side of a stiff dough and add more flour in 1/4 cup increments. You should see gluten development.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 24 to 36 hours.
Place a baking stone on the middle rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place a cast iron skillet in the bottom of the oven. Keep it close to the edge you will be pouring water into it.
Remove the dough from the fridge. Sprinkle the counter with a good cup and a half of flour into about a 12 by 12 inch square.
Flour your hands and dump the dough gently onto the flour. Spread it out to be about 8 inches by 8 inches. Dust the top of the dough with a good coating of flour and then spray it with spray oil and cover with plastic wrap. Set a timer for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
After the timer sounds, gently remove the plastic wrap. If some of the dough is stuck to it pinch it and gently pull.
Place a piece of parchment onto a peel (or sheet tray if you are not using a stone). Sprinkle it with cornmeal.
If your oven or stone isn't big enough only cut what will fit on your stone or in the oven and leave the remainder of the dough whole and covered until needed. Using a dough cutter dipped in water cut the dough into four pieces. Place the peel right next to the dough.
Now the tricky part. You want to do this quickly. Put one hand at each end of the loaf. Lift, the middle will start to stretch and drop, quickly move to the peel and stretch back to 12 inches. Repeat with what will fit on your peel or fit in your oven. I do two loaves at a time.
Slide the dough onto the stone. Carefully, but quickly, pour a half cup of water into the skillet and shut the door. Turn the heat down to 450 and set a timer for 12 minutes. Do not open the door.
When the timer goes off rotate the bread 180 degrees and bake and additional 4 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool.