Ingredients
- 3 cups lukewarm water
- 2 lbs. unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons instant or active dry yeast
- Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl
- Mix by hand to make a very sticky, rough dough.
- Cover the bowl, and let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours. (optional in case of rush)
- Refrigerate for 2 hours to 7 days. 2 hours will be pretty bland. 7 days will taste like sourdough. 2 days seems to make a good, daily bread.
- When ready, sprinkle the dough with flour. Grease your hands, and pull off about the size of a softball, or a large grapefruit.
- Shape the dough on a floured work surface
- Place the loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet
- Sift a light coating of flour over the top; this will help keep the bread moist as it rests before baking.
- Let the loaf warm to room temperature and rise; this should take about 60 minutes (or longer, up to a couple of hours, if your house is cool). It won't appear to rise upwards that much; rather, it'll seem to settle and expand. Preheat your oven to 450°F while the loaf rests. Place a shallow metal or cast iron pan (not glass, Pyrex, or ceramic) on the lowest oven rack, and have 1 cup of hot water ready to go.
- When you're ready to bake, take a sharp knife and slash the bread 2 or 3 times, making a cut about 1/2" deep. The bread may deflate a bit; that's OK, it'll pick right up in the hot oven.
- Place the bread in the oven onto the middle rack and carefully pour the 1 cup hot water into the shallow pan on the rack beneath. It'll bubble and steam; close the oven door quickly.
- Bake the bread for 25 to 35 minutes, until it's a deep, golden brown.
- Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. Store leftover bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.
- Bread flour can be used for a thicker crust and thicker center. Add about 2 teaspoons of water per cup of bread flour.