Eating Well's Country Bread

This was my go-to recipe 25 years ago. Now with the quarantine, I get to resurrect this recipe with my 9 year old yeast. This will be awesome! It takes 4 days from start to bake, but it is not a lot of work. I like to bake one loaf on Day 4 and the other loaf on Day 6-8.




DAY 1: MAKE THE SPONGE
1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water (100-110F)
3 1/3 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1 3/4 c. cold water (below 60F)

1. In a mixing bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water. Let stand about 5 minutes.
2. Add flour and water to yeast mixture and stir 100 times in one direction, scraping the bowl as you go.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it stand for 12 hours or overnight. The sponge is ready when small bubbles cover the surface and it is less dense than at the beginning.

DAY 2: MAKE THE DOUGH
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1 c. water at room temperature
3 1/2 tsp salt

1. Place 3 1/2 cups flour in the Kitchen Aid mixing bowl. Make a well in the center. Scrape the sponge into the well.
2. Rinse sponge water to mixing bowl, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add sponge water to the mixing bowl, stirring to incorporate the sponge, flour and water.
3. With the mixing paddle, mix the dough on Medium (4) for about 5 minutes. Add salt. Add any additional flour if the dough seems too wet. I generally do not add additional flour. (You want a wet dough, but not a sloppy wet dough. Wish I had pictures).
4. Remove the mixing blade and cover the mixing bowl for 15 minutes. 
5. Use the dough hook and mix for another 5-7 minutes on Medium (Setting 4-6)
6. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead by hand for about a minute or just until it forms a ball and feels smooth and elastic.
7. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and let it rise until doubled, about 2-3 hours.
8. Punch it down, reform the ball, and let it rise until more than doubled, about 3 hours.
9. Lightly dust the underside of a baking sheet with flour. Divide the dough into 2 round loaves. Place the rounds onto the baking sheet and cover with plastic. Let rise in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

DAY 3: RISE IN THE REFRIGERATOR

1. Transfer the loaves to baking forms with a film of flour on the cloth. A round or oval banneton if you have one; a pyrex bowl lined with a linen cloth if you don't.
2. Put it back in the refrigerator for another 8 hours or overnight.

DAY 4: BAKE THE BREAD

1. Preheat the oven to 500F or your highest setting. Have a spray bottle with water on the ready.
2. Just before baking, slash a cross-hatch design onto the top of each loaf. Spray lightly with water. 
3. Put a metal cup filled with water into the oven.
4. Bake according to the schedule:
   15 mins @ 500F (lightly spray loaves every 4-5 mins)
   20 mins @ 425F
   25 mins @ 325F
5. Remove the loaves from the oven when golden brown or when they sound hollow when knocked. Or when the internal temperature reaches 200F.
6. Transfer the loaves to a rack to cool. At that point they may be wrapped and frozen. Reheat at 300F for 30-45 mins.