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Ingredients
- 3 cups (400g) bread flour
- 2 t salt
- 1/4 t yeast (instant or active dry)
- 1 1/3 cups (300g) water (around 60 degrees - pretty cool
- semolina flour, cornmeal, bran or all purpose flour for dusting dough
Preparation
Step 1
Mix first 4 ingredients until they just come together. You can use a mixer but it is pretty easy to mix by hand. The dough will be very wet and sticky
Cover and let sit overnight or for 12 - 18 hours and up to 24 hours.
Dough is ready when it has expanded to fill the bowl and has a flat surface dotted with holes.
Use a handful of semolina flour, cornmeal, bran or flour to top your dough and scrape the sides of the bowl to loosen the dough into a ball. Handle lightly. Place your shaped dough in a lightly floured tea towel or covered bowl to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Dough is ready to bake when you poke it and your finger mark stays.
Preheat a deep cast iron pot with lid in your oven at 475 degrees for about 1/2 hour before your dough is ready. Be sure the knob on the lid will withstand this hot temperature. If not, simply remove it.
Carefully take the hot pot out of the oven. Remove lid. Quickly roll dough into the bottom of the hot pot, seam side up. Replace lid.
Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, and then remove the lid and bake for 15 - 20 minutes more. For best flavor your bread should be close to a chestnut brown color but not burned. Most bread is not baked long enough and is missing the wonderful flavors that you get simply from baking a bit longer.
Carefully remove bread from hot pot and cool completely before eating. The inside of your bread is still cooking from residual heat.