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Crusty Homemade Bread

Source of Recipe

From "Taste of Home Ultimate Baking Book"


Recipe Introduction

"Crackling homemade bread makes an average day extraordinary. Enjoy this beautiful crusty bread as is, or stir in a few favorites like cheese, garlic, herbs and dried fruits.

List of Ingredients

◦� 1 � teaspoons active dry yeast
◦� 1 � cups warm water
◦� 3 � cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
◦� 2 teaspoons salt
◦� 1 tablespoon cornmeal or additional flour


Recipe

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Using a rubber spatula, stir in 3 � cups flour and salt to form a soft, sticky dough. Do not knead. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.

Stir down dough (dough will be sticky). Turn onto a floured surface; with floured hands, pat dough into a 9-inch square. Fold square into thirds, forming a 9 x 3-inch rectangle. Fold rectangle into thirds, forming a 3-inch square. Place in a large greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled, about one hour.

Punch down dough and repeat the folding process. Return dough to bowl; refrigerate, covered, overnight.

Grease the bottom of a disposable foil roasting pan with sides at least 4 inches high; dust pan with cornmeal. Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Knead gently 6 to 8 times; shape into a 6-inch round loaf. Place into prepared pan; dust top with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Cover and let rise at room temperature until dough expands to a 7 �-inch loaf, about 1 � hours.

Preheat oven to 500� F.
Using a sharp knife, make a slash (� inch deep) across top of loaf. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake on lowest oven rack 25 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 450� F. Remove foil; bake bread until the crust is a deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove loaf to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 1 loaf
(16 pieces)



❧ Did You Know?
The key to a beautifully crisp crust is the presence of steam during the baking process. A closed container helps capture the moisture of the dough as it escapes. Covering a pan with foil, as in this recipe, is the easiest method; other crusty bread recipes are baked in a Dutch oven.