1 c Starter 2 ts Salt
1 pk Dry yeast 1/2 ts Soda
3/4 c Flour 1 1/2 c Warm water
3 c Flour 2 c Flour
3/4 c Water 2 ts Sugar
About 9:00 in the evening measure out 1 cup starter from the
refrigerator storage jar into mixing bowl (do not use metal or
plastic). Add 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup flour and beat thoroughly.
Cover bowl tightly with clinging transparent wrap and set in warm
place (80 to 85) overnight.
In the morning about 7:00 beat starter thoroughly. Measure out 1 cup
and return remaining starter to storage jar. In another bowl pour
1-1/2 cups of just warm water, stir in 2 tsp. sugar and sprinkle 1
pkg. yeast on top. Let stand until yeast is dissolved. Add the 1 cup
of reserved starter and 3 cups flour. Beat thoroughly, cover tightly
and let stand in warm place until very light and foamy. This will
take from 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
Sift 2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. soda with 1 cup flour and spread the
remaining 1 cup on the pastry board. Stir the sifted flour mix into
the sponge. Turn out on board and knead for several minutes using a
little more flour if necessary to make a very stiff dough. Knead
until completely smooth and not sticky so that it can be worked on an
unfloured portion of the board without sticking. Divide in halves and
shape into either round or long narrow loaves. Place on flat baking
sheet, preferably non stick, or lightly grease it or sprinkle corn
meal over the surface. Slip into large plastic bag, supported so that
it will not touch dough (drinking glasses placed at each end of sheet
are fine). Set in warm place for 1 to 1-1/2 hours to rise.
If the dough becomes too light the loaves will spread in baking but
this only makes a more delicious crust. When ready for the oven
brush top of loaves with cold water. Make diagonal slashes across
top of long loaves and five or six radiating from center of round
ones with a sharp single-edge razor blade or scissors. Bake in oven
preheated to 400 degrees with pan of hot water on the floor from 50
to 60 minutes and the crust is as dark as desired. About 10 minutes
before the end of the baking period, brush tops with water again.
Remove from pans and stand on edge to cool, propping them against a
heavy glass jar or similar object.
For the most attractive slices, especially if the loaves have spread a
little to much in baking, cut with a very sharp knife diagonally
across the long loaf and at the same time have the blade slanted from
top to bottom away from the end. This makes the slices about twice as
wide as when cut straight up and down. Cut slices from the round
loaves on the slant also. When ready to seve, to preserve the utterly
delicious taste and crisp, hard crust, re-heat quickly with wrapping
open at one end so that the bread will not become steamy, or spread
slices with butter and place under broiler at high heat for a very
short period until the edges are beginning to brown nicely. This
recipe makes 2 long or 2 large round loaves.
Yields
2 servings