Recipe - Basic Country Loaf

SPONGE
1 pack (0.25oz) active dry yeast
1 One half cup Warm water (105 to 110)
2 cup Unbleached allpurpose flour

DOUGH
Three fourths cup Coarsely ground whole wheat
flour
1 cup Warm water (105 to 110)
1 tablespoon Coarse salt
6 One half cup Allpurpose flour; about
1 Egg white; lightly beaten
Sesame seeds; poppy seeds,
cracked wheat or flour; for
topping (optional)

From: arielle@taronga.com (Stephanie da Silva)

Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1993 00:45:07 GMT
Make the sponge about 12 hours ahead: In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast
in One fourth cup of the warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the
remaining 1 One fourth cups water and the flour, beating by hand or in a mixer
with a dough hook for 1 minute. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let
the sponge stand at room temperature for 12 to 14 hours.

Make the dough: Stir the whole wheat flour, warm water, salt and about 4
cups of the allpurpose flour into the sponge until the dough becomes hard
to work, then turn it out onto a wellfloured surface. Let the dough rest
while you clean the bowl. Now start kneading, slapping the dough around,
scraping it up, gradually adding about 1 One half cups more allpurpose flour
and kneading until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes.

Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room
temperature until almost triped in volume, about 2 hours.

Turn the dough out again onto a floured surface, punch it down, and tear
off a small hunk (6 ounces) to reserve for the levain (see Note). Divide
the remaining dough in half and shape each piece into a 1 One half inch thick
disk. With the palms of your hands, coax the sides of each disk down and
under all around, stretching the gluten cloak and plumping up each loaf
into a round shape. Pinch together the seams on the bottom and place the
rounds seamside down on 2 lightly greased baking sheets. Cover loosely
with a towel and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 450F. Paint the top and sides of the risen loaves with
the beaten egg white to glaze. Sprinkle, if you wish, with one of the
toppings and place on the middle rack of the oven. Immediately throw a few
ice cubes on the oven floor to create steam. Add more ice after 3 minutes
and again after 6 minutes. Bake for a total of 15 minutes. Then reduce the
oven temperature to 350F and bake for 20 minutes longer, or until the bread
sounds hollow when the bottom is tapped. Turn the oven off and let the
bread rest in the hot oven for 15 minutes. Remove to a rack and let cool.

Note: Put the hunk of reserved dough (about 6 ounces) in a covered jar with
1 One half cups of warm water. This is the levain, which will go into the next
loaf. Let stand at room temperature for 12 hours, then refrigerate. The
levain will keep for up to 10 days; freeze for longer storage.

REC.FOOD.RECIPES

From rec.food.cooking archives. Downloaded from Glen's MM Recipe Archive,
http://www.erols.com/hosey.