Country Bread – Bread Made Easy: A Baker's First Bread Book, Beth Hensperger

POOLISH (SPONGE)

½ tsp active dry yeast
1 cup tepid water (about 100°F)
1 cup tepid milk (about 100°F)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably stone-ground or organic

DOUGH

1 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup water, at room temperature
1 tbsp fine sea salt
5 ½ to 6 cups unbleached all-purpose or bread flour, preferably stone-ground or organic, plus extra for dusting

Yellow cornmeal, for sprinkling the pan

Step 1: Mixing the Sponge
Assemble the ingredients and equipment around your work surface. Sprinkle the yeast over the tepid water and milk in a large mixing bowl or in the workbowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Stir to dissolve. Add the flour and, using a whisk, beat by hand or on low speed until smooth, about 1 minute. The starter will be sticky. Cover with plastic wrap, or the plastic bowl cover, and let stand at cool room temperature for 4 hours. The sponge will be bubbly and pleasantly fermented. This sponge can be stored overnight or for up to 1 week in the refrigerator before using, if necessary.

Step 1: Mixing the Dough
To make the dough be hand: Using a wooden spoon or dough whisk, sprinkle the yeast over the sponge, then add the water, salt, and I cup of the flour. Beat hard for 2 minutes. Slowly add the remaining flour, ½ cup at a time. This should take 3 to 4 minutes, giving the dough (and your arm) a good workout. The dough will be rather sticky and will almost, but not quite, pull away from the sides of the bowl.

To make by mixer: If using a KitchenAid heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sprinkle the yeast over the sponge, then add the water, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Switch to low speed and slowly add the remaining flour ½ cup at a time. This should take 3 to 4 minutes. The dough will be rather sticky and will almost, but not quite, pull away from the sides of the bowl. Use the flour guard or stop the machine, then start again, after adding the flour, to keep if from jumping out of the bowl. Switch to the dough hook when the dough thickens, when about two thirds of the flour has been added, and knead for about 5 minutes on medium-high speed. Remember that the dough must stay sticky; if it is firm like regular bread dough, it will bake up too dry.

Step 3: Kneading
Using a plastic dough card, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead vigoursly until very elastic, yet still moist and tacky, 1 to 2 minutes for a machine-mixed dough and 3 to 5 minutes for a hand-mixed dough, dusting with flour 1 tbsp at a time, just enough to prevent sticking to your hands and the work surface. Slam the dough hard against the work surface to develop the gluten. This is important for a good, light texture. Set aside on the work surface, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes to relax, absorb a bit more moisture, and become easier to work with. Knead again, and the sticky dough will smooth out without any extra flour.

Step 4: Rising
Place the dough ball in a greased deep container, turn once to grease the top, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. If using a mixer, you can put on the cover to let the dough rise in the bowl. Let rise at room temperature to almost triple in volume, about 2 hours. The dough will be puffed with a smooth top and have small bubbles under the surface.

Place a floured fist into the dough and knead into the center in the bucket to remove the trapped air. Turn over so the smooth side is on top. Re-cover and let rise until almost doubled, 45 to 60 minutes. Do not punch down.

Step 5: Shaping the dough and the Final Rise
Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with the cornmeal. Using a plastic dough card, turn out the dough onto the work surface; it will naturally deflate. Tear off a small piece about the size of a walnut, or ¼ cup, to reserve as levain, if desired. Divide the remaining dough into 2 equal portions with a metal bench scraper. Using as little flour as possible, knead each portion lightly into a 7-inch round shape with both hands and stretch the sides of the dough underneath to pull it into a tight round shape. Pinch the bottom seam to close the dough and flatten slightly. The bottom seam should be as close to the center as possible; only a small portion of the loaf will touch the pan. The surface will be smooth and even, with no tears.

Dust lightly all over with flour and place the balls, smooth side up, diagonally across the baking sheet to leave room for expansion. If you have two 8-inch round rising baskets, dust them with flour and place a dough ball in each one, smooth side down.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until double in bulk, about 1 ½ hours to 2 hours.

Step 6: Baking, Cooking, and Storage
About 20 minutes before baking, place a baking stone or tiles on the lower oven rack and preheat the oven to 425°F.

If using the rising baskets, run your hand around the sides to loosen and invert the loaves onto the baking sheet; there will be a design imprinted in the flour on the surface. If you have risen the loaves directly on the baking sheet, skip this step. Dust the top with a dusting of flour o stencil. Using a sharp knife or lamé, slash the tops with 4 strokes, no deeper than ¼ inch, to form a diamond design, 3 parallel cuts, or an X. Do this very gently and with a fast action of the wrist so as not to deflate the loaf.

Place the baking sheet directly on top of the baking stone. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and continue to bake for 25 to 30 minutes more. The loaf will be deep golden brown, crusty, and some hollow when trapped on the top and bottom with your finger. The internal temperature will be 205° to 210° F on an instant-read thermometer when done. Remove from the pan to cool on a rack for at least 1 hour. Serve this bread completely cooled. It is best eaten the day it is baked. Or freeze for up to 2 months.