This is a wonderful recipe! ---- Debbie

Simple Crusty Bread

Recipe By : Artisan Brad in Five Minutes a Day
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Artisan

1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
6 1/2 cups unbleached -- all-purpose flour, more for dusting
dough
Cornmeal.

In a large bowl or plastic container, mix yeast and salt into 3
cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees).

Stir in flour, mixing until there are no dry patches. Dough will be quite
loose. Cover, but not with an airtight lid. Let dough rise at room
temperature 2 hours (or up to 5 hours).

Bake at this point or refrigerate, covered, for as long as two weeks. When
ready to bake, sprinkle a little flour on dough and cut off a
grapefruit-size piece with serrated knife. Turn dough in hands to lightly
stretch surface, creating a rounded top and a lumpy bottom. Put dough on
pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal; let rest 40 minutes. Repeat with
remaining dough or refrigerate it. Place broiler pan on bottom of oven.
Place baking stone on middle rack and turn oven to 450 degrees; heat stone
at that temperature for 20 minutes. Dust dough with flour, slash top with
serrated or very sharp knife three times. Slide onto stone. Pour one cup
hot water into broiler pan and shut oven quickly to trap steam. Bake until
well browned, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.
Yield: 4 loaves.

Variation:

If not using stone, stretch rounded dough into oval and place in a
greased, nonstick loaf pan.

Let rest 40 minutes if fresh, an extra hour if refrigerated. Heat oven
to 450 degrees for 5 minutes.

Place pan on middle rack.

Adapted from "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day," by Jeff Hertzberg
and Zo=EB Fran=E7ois

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