Ingredients
- 3 Cups Lukewarm water
- 1 1/2 T granulated yeast
- 1 1/2 T coarse salt
- 6 1/2 C bread flour
- cornmeal or flour for the pizza peel
Preparation
Step 1
Add yeast and salt to lukewarm water in 5 quart (5 liter) plastic food container with lid. Mix in the flour, but do not knead.
Allow to rise: Cover with lid loosely and let rise at rm temperature for approximately 2 hours.
You can bake the dough at any point after this rising period, but better results are possible after refrigerating overnight.
On Baking Day: First, prepare a pizza peel (or wood cutting board) by sprinkling liberally with flour so loaves don't stick to it when you slide them into the oven. Sprinkle the surface of your dough with flour. Pull up and cut of a grapefruit size (1 lb) piece of dough using a serrated knife. Form into a ball, as you would form a loaf of bread. Rest the loaf and let rise on pizza peel (or cutting board) for 40 minutes, uncovered.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with baking stone (or cookie sheet) placed in center rack. Place and empty broiler tray for holding water on a shelf underneath.
Dust the top of each loaf liberally with flour to prevent sticking, and slash a 1/4 inch deep cross, scallop, or tic-tac-toe into the top of each loaf, using a serrated knife.
Slide the loaf off of the pizza peel onto the baking stone in the oven. Quickly pour 1 cup hot water into the broiler tray and close the oven door to stop the steam.
Bake for 30 minutes
Allow to cool on a wire rack.
***Store remaining dough in the refrigerator and use over the next 14 days. Cut off and shape more loaves as needed. Dough can be frozen in 1-pound portions in an airtight container and defrosted overnight in the refrigerator prior to baking day.