Simple Crusty Bread

This Bread is delicious and easy to make! I've always been afraid of breads, but a new years resolution for 2008 is to try baking different kinds of breads. So i figured i'd start simple =) This recipe takes about 45 minutes plus about 3 hours' resting and rising.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

6 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, more for dusting dough

1 cup or so of Cornmeal.

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. 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). It will rise to about double its size and look bubbly, jigglely and sticky. (if you're not ready to bake you can save the dough like this for up to 2 weeks in the fridge)

2. Sprinkle a cutting board or pizza peel with cornmeal to get it ready and set it aside.

3. Sprinkle flour on a clean surface and pour dough out of its bowl onto the flour. It will be sticky and full of bubbles. Sprinkle a little flour on dough and cut off a grapefruit-size piece with a serrated knife. Rub some flour in your hands to coat them, then turn dough in your hands to lightly stretch surface, creating a rounded top and a lumpy bottom. Put dough on the cutting board or pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal; let rest 40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it.

3. 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.

4. 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 you dont have a baking 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.


Voila! you will have crusty hot delicious bread perfect for anything =) hope you enjoy!