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I’ve been asked for my bread recipe, so I’m sharing.  There is nothing quick or particularly easy about this recipe.  It takes forethought.  It takes planning.  It takes 3 days.

This is bastardized from Bread Alone, which is a great book to understand how bread works.

First, the poolish, or starter:

1/2 cup of water

1/2 teaspoon dry yeast

3/4 cup of flour, preferably bread flour.

Combine the yeast and water.  Stir until the yeast is completely dissolved.  Mix in the flour and stir roughly 100 times to get a good start on the gluten formation.   Cover in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 12-24 hours.  The time can be cut in half by leaving it out on the counter, but it tastes better with the slower fermentation.

Stage 2, the dough:

2 1/2 cups of water

1/2 teaspoon dry yeast

7-8 cups of flour, preferably bread flour.

1 tablespoon salt

Combine the yeast, salt and water.  Stir until everything is dissolved.  Mix in the poolish and break it up. Stir in flour until the mix gets thick enough that you are worried about breaking your wooden spoon.  [Read more…] about Bread