This classic European-style loaf has a crispy crust and hearty crumb. Perfect with soups, salads, and cheese.
Master Recipe
- 3-1/2 cups lukewarm water
- 4 tsp active dry yeast
- 4 tsp coarse salt
- 7-1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour.
Combine water, yeast and salt in a large bowl. With spoon, or mixer with paddle attachment, stir in flour. Dough will be wet.
Place dough in a large bowl, covered with cloth, or in a 5-quart lidded container covered with lid, but do not snap airtight. Let rise at room temperature 2 hours.
Refrigerate overnight or up to 14 days.
To Make the Loaf
Use 1 lb. (grapefruit size) portion of Master recipe.
Hold dough and dust top with flour. Quickly shape into a ball by stretching surface of dough around bottom on all four sides, rotating dough a quarter turn as you go.
Place dough (smooth side down) into a well-dusted proofing bowl. (Alternately, Place dough on pizza peel or baking sheet liberally sprinkled with corneal or lined with parchment paper.) Cover loosely with lightly-floured plastic wrap. Let stand in warm, draft-free space for 1 hour, or until dough is slightly puffed and no longer chilled.
30 minutes before baking, place a baking stone on center oven rack, place empty broiler pan on bottom oven rack. Heat oven to 450 degrees F
If using, turn out dough from proofing basked onto a a pizza peel lined with parchment paper. Lightly dust loaf with flour. With a lame, make 2-3, ¼-inch-deep slashes on top of the loaf. Slide loaf, with parchment paper, onto the baking stone. Immediately pour 1 cup hot water into broiler pan; quickly close oven door to trap steam.
Bake 30 minutes or until deep golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom. Cool completely on wire rack.
Bake in loaf rounds, or you can also prepare buns. If preparing buns, check after 20 minutes of baking.
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