Artisan Bread

Artisan Bread



3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 t salt
1 1/2 C water

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast, and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or tight lid. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when the surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Place dough seam side down on a sheet of parchment paper (big enough to move dough later by picking up longer sides). Cover with a thin towel and let rise for about 2 hours. ( I have also used a rising basket and it worked great, flour generously.) When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enameled, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. ( I used a dutch oven until I splurged on a french enameled pot.) When dough is ready, gently cut an "X" or other design in top of loaf with a sharp knife. Carefully remove pot from oven and take off lid. Carefully lift loaf with sides of parchment paper and place gently in pot. cover with lid and place back in oven. (It's better for the edges of the parchment paper to come out of pot than to be shoved inside.) Bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 10-15 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1 1/2-pound loaf.