Very Basic Bread
Filed under
Breads
Starts with a pre-ferment made 8 to 12 hours ahead. Baked on an upside-down unglazed terra cotta dish.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Bread flour, plus extra for shaping, divided
- 1 tsp Instant yeast, rapid rise, divided
- 2 tsp Honey
- 10 oz Water, bottled or filtered
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
- 2 qt Water, hot
- Vegetable oil, for greasing the rising container
- 2 tbsp Cornmeal
- 1/3 cup Water, for brushing
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
Directions
- Combine 5 ounces of the flour, 1/4 teaspoon of the yeast, the honey and the bottled water in a straight-sided container. Cover loosely and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours.
- Put the remaining 11 ounces flour, remaining yeast and the salt in a stand mixer bowl and add the pre-ferment. Knead with the dough hook on low 2 to 3 minutes, just until it comes together. Cover and rest 20 minutes.
- Knead on medium 5 to 10 minutes, until you can stretch a thin sheet that light passes through. It will be sticky but handleable.
- Pour half the hot water into a shallow pan on the bottom oven rack. Put the dough in an oiled straight-sided container on the rack above and let rise until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.
- Press the dough out with your knuckles and fold it in thirds like a wallet, twice. Cover and rest 10 minutes.
- Flatten again, fold in on itself, turn over and pinch the bottom so the top is smooth. Roll gently between your hands in a circular motion to shape a ball.
- Set on a peel or sheet pan sprinkled with cornmeal, cover and proof 1 hour, until a poke fills back in quickly.
- Put an unglazed terra cotta dish upside down in the oven and heat to 400 degrees F.
- Mix the 1/3 cup water and cornstarch and brush over the dough. Slash the top 1/3 to 1/2 inch deep in several places. Top up the hot water pan.
- Slide the bread onto the terra cotta and bake 50 to 60 minutes, to an internal temperature of 205 to 210 degrees F. Cool 30 minutes before slicing.