Crusty Peasant Bread

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This is bread at its simplest and most pure, made from only four
ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and salt. But don't be put off by the
simplicity - every baguette ever made in France has exactly those four
ingredients - anything else is considered superfluous.

Ingredients:

* 2 1/2 to 3 cups of all-purpose flour or bread flour

* 1/2 tablespoon salt

* 1 packet active dry yeast or rapid-acting yeast

* 1 cup of hot water, 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit

* 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or vegetable oil)

Equipment List:

* One baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprinkled with cornmeal

* A large bowl for mixing, and a strong wooden spoon (or an electric mixer)

* A large bowl for rising

* Some plastic wrap

1. Mixing

Put 1 cup of flour, the salt, and the yeast in a bowl. Mix until well
blended. Add the hot water, then stir - 100 strokes if by hand, 3 minutes
with a flat beater if by mixer.



Add the remaining flour, half a cup at a time, and mix. Add just enough
flour to form a rough, shaggy mass (if you only need 2 1/2 cups of flour,
great! The extra half cup in the recipe is there in case you need it).

2. Kneading

Knead for fifteen minutes by hand, or for eight minutes by mixer (with the
dough hook). If the dough becomes sticky while kneading, add a little bit of
flour. Knead by pressing the dough away from you with the heels of your
hands, then pulling the dough back and folding it over in two - repeat until
the dough is smooth and elastic.

3. Rising

Lightly oil a large bowl with the olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl,
then turn the dough over a few times to coat the surface with oil. Cover the
bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel, then set aside in a warm location
(inside the oven with only the light turned on works great). Let the dough
rise until doubled in volume, about two hours (one hour if using
rapid-acting yeast).

4. Shaping

Prepare the baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or sprinkling it
with cornmeal. Punch down the dough. Form the dough into a ball. (You want
an unbroken surface on the top of the ball. If there are folds where the
dough won't come together, try cupping the dough in both hands then pulling
down at the bottom. Rotate the ball, then pull some more. Repeat until the
fold disappears. Don't worry about the bottom of the ball.) Place the ball
on the baking sheet, then press down on the dough to flatten it a bit.
Lightly sprinkle the dough with some flour to give the bread a rustic
appearance when it bakes. With a sharp knife, cut an 'X' in the top of the
dough, about half an inch deep (you are making an expansion joint). Cover
the dough loosely with a clean cloth. Allow the dough to rise until doubled
in volume - about one hour (half an hour if using rapid-acting yeast).

Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit while the dough is rising.

5. Baking

Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven. Bake the bread for 45
minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, until the crust is a deep golden brown
and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.