Same-Day Country Loaf

Step 1

Autolyse phase: Combine the 500 g of unbleached AP flour with the 360 g of warm water in a large bowl, or plastic Cambro tub. Use your hands to mix until combined. Cover tightly, and let rest for 15 minutes.

Step 2

Sprinkle the salt and 1 teaspoon of yeast over the dough. Dampen one hand with water, and incorporate the salt and yeast by hand. Use a pinching, and squishing motion to make sure the yeast and salt are fully incorporated. Fold the dough over itself a few times, cover at let rest for 20 minutes.

Step 3

Stretch and fold: This Country Loaf needs 2 folds. With a damp hand, gently lift up the side of the dough, stretching but not tearing, and fold it over to the center of the dough. Repeat until you make around the whole mass of dough. Cover for 20 minutes and repeat.Allow the dough to rise for about 5-6 hours (depending on your room temperature, colder rooms take longer, warmer rooms will be about 30 minutes shorter) until the dough has at least doubled in volume. If you're working with a clear cambro type tub, the dough should look very bubbly and airy on the sides.

Step 4

Dust a proofing basket generously with flour, set aside. Generously flour your work surface. Using a rubber spatula or bench scraper, ease the dough out onto your work surface. Flour your hands. Pull all four corners of the dough to the center of dough ball, in a north, south, east, west motion. Flip the ball over, and gently pull and drag the dough towards you, creating slight tension and a nice round shape. Flour the top of the dough ball, pick it up, and place it seam-side DOWN into the prepared proofing basket. Cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let proof (rise) for 1 hour.

Step 5

Meanwhile. Place a Dutch oven on the center rack of the oven. Preheat to 450 degrees F. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the Dutch oven. After an hour, using heavy duty oven mitts, remove the very hot pot from the oven and place on the stove top. Remove the lid. Invert the dough out onto the parchment paper, the seam side should now be up. Carefully place the dough into the Dutch oven (including the parchment paper), cover with the lid, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the lid, and continue baking for another 20 minutes. Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack before slicing into it. This is important to allow the interior to finish cooking, so you don't get a gummy crumb (interior).Store the bread at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or slice, and freeze. To reheat, just pop a slice straight into the toaster.