Categories: Breads- Rolls- Biscuits- Corn bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups lukewarm (100 degree) water
- 1 Tbsp. yeast (0.35 oz.)
- 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp. kosher salt (0.6 to 0.9 oz.)
- 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (2 lb.), plus more for dusting
- Cornmeal for dusting or parchment paper
Directions
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In a 6-quart bowl, combine the water, yeast and salt and mix well. Add the flour all at once and mix with a wooden spoon or the paddle attachment on stand mixer until well blended and uniformly moist without any dry patches. If using a spoon and mixture becomes too difficult to stir, continue mixing with very wet hands, pressing the mixture together. Do not knead. The dough should be wet and loose.
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Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow mixture to rise at room temperature for about 2 hours. Mixture will rise, then flatten or collapse. When this happens, transfer to the refrigerator. Once chilled, the dough is ready to use (chilling makes the dough easier to shape and handle); dough will keep, refrigerated, for up to 14 days.
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To shape and bake:
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Dust a cookie sheet (no rim) or pizza peel with cornmeal or line with parchment paper. Lightly dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour. Using your hands, reach in and pull up a portion of the dough and cut off a 1-lb. piece (about the size of a grapefruit), using a serrated knife or kitchen shears. Hold the dough in one hand and sprinkle with a little more flour, just enough to keep it from sticking to your hands.
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Gently stretch the surface of the dough on four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Most of the dusting flour should fall off. You do not want to incorporate the flour into the dough. The bottom of the loaf may appear to be a collection of bunched ends; this is OK. A correctly shaped loaf will be smooth and cohesive on the top and sides. This whole process should take no longer than 40 seconds. Be careful no to overwork the dough, or the loaves may be dense.
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For a very airy (large holes) loaf, let the shaped dough rest (covered with a bowl) for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. Otherwise, let dough rest, uncovered, for about 40 minutes.
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Meanwhile, adjust oven racks to the middle and lower positions. Place a baking stone on the center rack. Place an empty metal pan on the lower rack. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
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Liberally dust the top of the dough with flour, then, using a serrated knife, cut 1/2-inch deep slashes in a cross, scallop or tic-tac-toe pattern across the top. Slide the loaf (if using parchment paper you can simply lift the loaf and transfer it with the paper to the stone) to the baking stone. Quickly, but carefully, pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the metal pan (if your oven has window in the door be extra careful not to drip any water on it). Quickly close the oven door to trap the steam, if yo used parchment paper instead of cornmeal, remove the parchment by pulling if from under the loaf after about 20 minutes for a crisper bottom crust.
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Bake for a total of 30 to 35 minutes, or until the crust is richly brown and firm to the touch. When you remove the loaf from the oven, a properly baked loaf will crackle or “sing” when initially exposed to the cooler air of the room. Cool loaf on a wire rack for 2 hours before slicing.
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Makes enough dough for 4 loaves
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Note: Substitute 1 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour if desired.
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Herb bread: Add 1 1/2 tsp. of your favorite dried herb blend to the water mixture.
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Sandwich loaf: Use a 2 lb. ball of dough and elongate dough ball and place in a well-greased 8 1/2 × 4 1/4 inch loaf pan. Let rise, covered loosely with plastic wrap, for 90 minutes. Bake as directed for 45 minutes or until brown and firm. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.