IO71245@MAINE.BITNET (11/15/90)
Crusty French Bread (from Jeff Smith's -The Frugal Gourmet-)
(you gotta use a scale for this recipe - flour varies by batch so
it has to be measured by weight. get the flour at a good natural
foods store - standard commercial white flour is YUCK for this.)
2 pkgs dry regular yeast
2 1/2 cups tepid water
2 pounds 3 ounces hard red winter wheat flour and unbleached
white flour - mix 'em 1/2 and 1/2
1 tsp salt dissolved in 1 tsp water
Cornmeal
Dissolve yeast in tepid water. let stand 5 minutes, and stir well. use
a paper sack to weigh out 2 pounds 3 oz flour. mix dissolved yeast and
4 cups of the flour. whip for 10 minutes with an electric mixer - it
will start pulling away from the sides of the bowl. add salted water
and remaining flour, knead for 15 minutes by hand (or 5 minutes if you
have a really good heavy-duty stand mixer). put on a Formica counter
(or piece of plastic wrap) and cover with a BIG bowl. let rise 2 hours,
punch down, and let rise for another 1 1/2 hours. Punch down again.
Mold into 3 or 4 loaves, depending on how big you want 'em. Grease a
baking sheet and sprinkle some cornmeal on it. let rise in a warm oven
with a pan of very hot water on the bottom shelf, until doubled in
bulk. remove from oven and heat oven to 450 degrees. refill the pan of
water and move the upper rack to top 1/3 of oven. dust the loaves with
flour, or use an egg and water glaze (I like flour...). bake for about
25 minutes, or until brown and sound hollow when you thump the bottom
with a finger. (you can eliminate the salt if you want, it's fine
without.)