| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 16 min |
| Prep: | 30 min |
| Inactive: | 1 min |
| Cook: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 2 loaves |
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 1/4 cups warm water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 6 to 7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- Cornmeal
- White distilled vinegar
Instructions
- In a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook combine the yeast and water, mixing slowly until yeast is dissolved. Stir in salt and sugar. Mix well. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Beat for 5 minutes, gradually adding flour until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Turn out on a lightly floured surface. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic, adding flour as necessary to prevent stickiness.
- Lightly oil a large bowl. Place dough in bowl and turn to coat on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Alternatively, cover with plastic wrap and let rise slowly in the refrigerator for 10 to 12 hours or overnight.
- Line a baking sheet with kitchen parchment or sprinkle with cornmeal.
- Punch down the dough. Divide in half, shape into 2 round loaves, and place on the baking sheet. Carve an X in the top of the loaf and spray with vinegar. Place in a cold oven and turn the oven on to 400 degrees F for 45 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
Reviews
This recipe consistently turns out great. It can be adapted to add fruit, garlic cloves etc. it is always delicious. My go to recipe for bread.
I have to admit, I dropped the level of salt to one teaspoon. I use olive oil to coat it instead of anything else. This way, I’ve ended up with a wonderful, small-holed texture with a great flavor. Additionally, my daughter didn’t care for the vinegar coating. So, I just left it off.
With these changes, I now have to make the recipe, at the very least, once a week.
With these changes, I now have to make the recipe, at the very least, once a week.
My bread came out really good. The recipe was super easy to follow. I didnt use the vinegar, but i did slather butter on top of the loaves right after they came out of the oven, like my mom used to do.
This bread was super simple to throw together and the result was really wonderful. Two things I have not yet tried…the second rise in the oven and the vinegar spray. I loved the ease of the oven rise and the vinegar spray provided and dryer looking, but crispier crust that was perfect because inside was a soft fluffy bread. Great with soup plain or lathered with butter. Thanks!
This was an easy recipe–my family loved the crusty exterior of the bread. I made rolls out of the dough for pulled BBQ chicken sammies and it worked out perfectly! All the bread was gone by breakfast the next day.
My whole family looks forward to this bread.
The bread was simple to make and the vinegar sprayed on the crust did give it a nice texture (you can taste it a bit and it leaves a sharp after taste) however the bread is very dense and salty. I am wondering if the 1 1/2 Tablespoons in the recipe is a misprint? I have never made bread that had more salt than sugar??