The Master Recipe: Boule (Artisan Free-Form Load)
* Makes four 1-pound loaves.
* The recipe is easily doubled or halved.
* Check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
* It may look complicated to make, but it's actually really easy!
.
Ingredients
.
3 cups lukewarm water
1 ½ Tbsp granulated yeast
1 ½ Tbsp kosher or coarse salt (normal salt is too salty)
6 ½ cups unsifted, unbleached, all purpose white flour
Cornmeal for pizza peal
.
Supplies
.
Non airtight plastic container with lid
Wooden spoon
Measuring cups and spoons
Serrated knife
Water pan
Baking stone/pizza peal (plate)
(Cookie sheets or pizza pans work great too)
.
Mixing and storing the dough
.
Place water, yeast and salt in container and stir (don’t worry about getting it all to dissolve). Add all flour into container. Using wooden spoon stir until flour is all incorporated. No kneading necessary!
.
Place lid on container and let sit for 2 hours (up to 5 hours will not harm the results) at room temperature. You can tell that it is ready when it has risen and fallen flat. You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Fully refrigerated dough is easier to work with.
.
Baking dough
.
First prepare your pizza peal or second pan (or even a plate) with a generous amount of cornmeal. (This is just to help slide your dough into the oven and onto the preheated baking stone/cookie sheet).
.
Sprinkle your dough and hands with flour. Using a serrated edge knife, cut out approximately ¼ of the dough.
.
Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides. Rotating the ball a quarter turn as you go. The final product should be smooth and cohesive. This entire process should not take more than 30 to 60 seconds.
.
Place shaped ball of dough on your pizza peal (plate) and let it rest and raise for about 40 minutes. You may not see much rising during this period.
.
20 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Place baking stone (cookie sheet) and empty water pan in oven to preheat (baking stone should be in the middle of the oven and the water pan should be below the stone).
.
Dust the top of the loaf with flour and slash about ¼ inch deep, any pattern is fine (tic-tac-toe, scallop, initials).
.
Slide loaf into oven and fill water pan with 2 cups or more water, bake for 30 minutes at 450 degrees. Loaf should be nicely browned and firm to the touch.
.
Storing dough
.
Store remainder of dough in your fridge for up to 14 days.
.
You’ll find that each day’s storage will improve the flavor and texture of your bread. The longer it sits in your fridge the stronger the sourdough flavor.
.
When removing from the fridge start at the *Baking portion of recipe.
