There’s nothing like the Homemade Country Bread aroma wafting through your kitchen as it bakes.
Author: Nectaria
Servings: 1 loaf
INGREDIENTS
For the starter
220gr./ 7.76 oz. lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon active dry
150 gr./ 5.29 oz. Bread Flour
30 gr./ 1.05 oz. Whole Wheat Flour
For the dough
all the starter (above)
220gr./ 7.76 oz. lukewarm water (100°F to 115°F)
1 teaspoon active dry
1½ tablespoon sugar
500gr. / 17.63 oz. Bread Flour
2 1/4 teaspoons salt, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the starter
Stir all the starter ingredients together to make a thick, pudding-like mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest overnight.
To make the dough
Stir down the starter with a spoon and add the water, yeast, sugar, 1/3 of the flour, and the salt. Mix well and let it rest for 12 to 15 minutes.
Knead the dough, adding up to additional 1/3 cup flour (as necessary to make a soft dough), for 10 to 12 minutes. Repeat the same for one more time. The dough will be soft.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or plastic container, cover with lightly greased plastic wrap, and let it rise until almost doubled , this will take 1 to 2 hours.
Deflate the dough very gently and form the dough into a round ball.
Place a semolina- or cornmeal-dusted piece of parchment paper onto a baking sheet. Gently place the ball of dough on the baking sheet.
Cover the bread gently with lightly greased plastic wrap and let it rise until it’s puffy and about 50% larger, anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 475°F / 240°C.
Slash or cross-hatch the bread with a sharp knife or lame. Dust it with a little flour. Spritz water into the oven with a clean plant mister and place the bread in the oven. Reduce the heat to 425°F / 220°C and spritz with water every few minutes for the first 15 minutes of baking.
Bake the bread for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until it’s a rich golden brown.
Remove the bread from the oven and cool it on a rack.