I just love bread that rises overnight. it has so much more time to develop. this is a really easy recipe in spite of how long it is. it's one of my favorites smileys/smile.gif
SPONGE STARTER
Makes 28 ounces
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) very warm water (105° to 115°F)
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups (16 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
Equipment: One 2-quart clear plastic container
Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes, until a smooth, somewhat elastic batter has formed. The batter will be very stiff; it gets softer and more elastic after it has proofed. You may find it easier to mix the sponge using an electric mixer, with a paddle or a dough hook, on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the sponge into a 2-quart clear plastic container and cover with plastic wrap. At this point you have two options:
If you plan to make your dough later that same
day, let the sponge rest at room temperature until it has risen to the point where it just begins to collapse. This may take from 6 to 8 hours, depending on the temperature of the sponge, the temperature of the room, and the strength of the yeast. The sponge will triple in volume and small dents and folds will begin to appear in the top as it reaches its peak and then begins to deflate.
The sponge is now in perfect condition to be
used in a dough. It's best if you have already
weighed or measured out all of your other recipe
ingredients before the sponge reaches this point
so you can use it before it collapses too much.
If you're not planning to make your dough until the next day or the day after, put the covered sponge in the refrigerator and let it rise there for at least 14 hours before taking it out to use in a recipe. Be sure to compensate for the cold temperature of the starter by using warm water (85° to 95°F) in the dough instead of the cool water specified in the recipe. Or let the starter sit out, covered, until it reaches room temperature (this may take several hours)--but don't let it collapse too much before you use it.
AMY'S CRUSTY ITALIAN LOAF
A sponge starter bread
Here's another technique for creating an airy,
crunchy bread with a toasty crust. The most basic ingredients are combined with a sponge starter to make a soft, moist dough. Just before baking, each loaf is stretched to elongate the gluten strands and the open holes in the bread, making for a lighter loaf. This bread is delicious with a hearty pasta dish or a crisp salad of bitter greens. We also recommend scooping out some of the interior crumb and stuffing the shell of the loaf with sliced meats, cheeses, greens, tomatoes, and a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar for an incredible party sandwich.
Makes 3 long loaves
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup (2 ounces) very warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 cup (8 ounces) cool water (75°F)
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) Sponge Starter
3 1/2 cups (16 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1.Combine the warm water and yeast in a large
bowl and stir with a fork to dissolve the yeast. Let stand for 3 minutes.
2.Add the cool water and sponge to the yeast
mixture and mix with your fingers for about 2
minutes, breaking up the sponge. The mixture
should look milky and slightly foamy.
3.Add the flour and salt and mix with your fingers to incorporate the flour, scraping the sides of the bowl and folding the ingredients together until the dough gathers into a mass. It should be wet and sticky, with long strands of dough hanging from your fingers. If necessary, add 1 tablespoon of water.
4.Move the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until it becomes
supple and fairly smooth. This is a sticky, wet
dough; don't be tempted to add a lot of flour to
the work surface. Just dust lightly and use a
dough scraper as necessary to loosen the
dough from the table during kneading. Allow the
dough to rest for 15 minutes, covered with oiled
plastic wrap. (This rest period is the autolyse.)
5.Knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes, until it is stretchy and smooth yet still slightly sticky. Shape the dough into a loose ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, and turn the dough in the bowl to coat with oil. Cover the bowl tightly with oiled plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature (75°F to 77°F) for about 1 hour, or until the dough looks slightly puffy but has not doubled.
6.Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or preferably, overnight to let it relax, develop flavor, and become more manageable.
7.Take the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, until it warms up and starts to rise.
8.Flour a work surface well and gently dump the
dough onto it. Divide the dough into 3 equal
pieces (about 13 ounces each). Gently flatten
one piece, pressing out some of the air bubbles,
and stretch it into a rectangle. Form the dough
into a log and then into a short baguette about 12 inches long. The loaf will be loose and slightly irregular in shape. Cover an area at one side of the work surface with a thick layer of flour and place the loaf seam side down on the flour. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough, leaving plenty of space between the loaves--they will spread as they rise. Cover the loaves with a well-oiled plastic wrap and let them rise for about 1 hour.
9.Thirty minutes before baking, preheat the oven
to 475°F. Place a baking stone in the oven to
preheat and position an oven rack just below the
stone.
10.Sprinkle a peel very generously with cornmeal. Line an upside-down baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle very generously with cornmeal. Lift one loaf and flip it over onto the peel so the floured side is on top.
Gently tug on the ends to stretch the loaf to the full length of the peel (about 14 inches). Repeat with the remaining loaves, placing another one on the peel and the last one on the pan. Dimple each loaf with your finger in about six places, but don't deflate them too much.
11.Be sure the loaves are loosened from the
peel, then carefully slide them onto the baking
stone. Place the pan of bread on the rack below
the stone. Using a plant sprayer, quickly mist the loaves 8 to 10 times, then quickly shut the oven door. Mist the loaves again after 1 minute. Then mist again 1 minute later.
12.Bake for about 10 minutes, then reduce the
temperature to 450°F and bake for 15 minutes
longer, or until the loaves sound slightly hollow when tapped on the bottom and the crust is a medium to dark brown. (If the crust is not brown enough, the loaves will soften as they cool.)
Transfer the bread to a rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
From Amy's Bread, by Amy Scherber and Toy Kim
SPONGE STARTER
Makes 28 ounces
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) very warm water (105° to 115°F)
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups (16 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
Equipment: One 2-quart clear plastic container
Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes, until a smooth, somewhat elastic batter has formed. The batter will be very stiff; it gets softer and more elastic after it has proofed. You may find it easier to mix the sponge using an electric mixer, with a paddle or a dough hook, on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the sponge into a 2-quart clear plastic container and cover with plastic wrap. At this point you have two options:
If you plan to make your dough later that same
day, let the sponge rest at room temperature until it has risen to the point where it just begins to collapse. This may take from 6 to 8 hours, depending on the temperature of the sponge, the temperature of the room, and the strength of the yeast. The sponge will triple in volume and small dents and folds will begin to appear in the top as it reaches its peak and then begins to deflate.
The sponge is now in perfect condition to be
used in a dough. It's best if you have already
weighed or measured out all of your other recipe
ingredients before the sponge reaches this point
so you can use it before it collapses too much.
If you're not planning to make your dough until the next day or the day after, put the covered sponge in the refrigerator and let it rise there for at least 14 hours before taking it out to use in a recipe. Be sure to compensate for the cold temperature of the starter by using warm water (85° to 95°F) in the dough instead of the cool water specified in the recipe. Or let the starter sit out, covered, until it reaches room temperature (this may take several hours)--but don't let it collapse too much before you use it.
AMY'S CRUSTY ITALIAN LOAF
A sponge starter bread
Here's another technique for creating an airy,
crunchy bread with a toasty crust. The most basic ingredients are combined with a sponge starter to make a soft, moist dough. Just before baking, each loaf is stretched to elongate the gluten strands and the open holes in the bread, making for a lighter loaf. This bread is delicious with a hearty pasta dish or a crisp salad of bitter greens. We also recommend scooping out some of the interior crumb and stuffing the shell of the loaf with sliced meats, cheeses, greens, tomatoes, and a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar for an incredible party sandwich.
Makes 3 long loaves
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup (2 ounces) very warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 cup (8 ounces) cool water (75°F)
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) Sponge Starter
3 1/2 cups (16 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1.Combine the warm water and yeast in a large
bowl and stir with a fork to dissolve the yeast. Let stand for 3 minutes.
2.Add the cool water and sponge to the yeast
mixture and mix with your fingers for about 2
minutes, breaking up the sponge. The mixture
should look milky and slightly foamy.
3.Add the flour and salt and mix with your fingers to incorporate the flour, scraping the sides of the bowl and folding the ingredients together until the dough gathers into a mass. It should be wet and sticky, with long strands of dough hanging from your fingers. If necessary, add 1 tablespoon of water.
4.Move the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until it becomes
supple and fairly smooth. This is a sticky, wet
dough; don't be tempted to add a lot of flour to
the work surface. Just dust lightly and use a
dough scraper as necessary to loosen the
dough from the table during kneading. Allow the
dough to rest for 15 minutes, covered with oiled
plastic wrap. (This rest period is the autolyse.)
5.Knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes, until it is stretchy and smooth yet still slightly sticky. Shape the dough into a loose ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, and turn the dough in the bowl to coat with oil. Cover the bowl tightly with oiled plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature (75°F to 77°F) for about 1 hour, or until the dough looks slightly puffy but has not doubled.
6.Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or preferably, overnight to let it relax, develop flavor, and become more manageable.
7.Take the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, until it warms up and starts to rise.
8.Flour a work surface well and gently dump the
dough onto it. Divide the dough into 3 equal
pieces (about 13 ounces each). Gently flatten
one piece, pressing out some of the air bubbles,
and stretch it into a rectangle. Form the dough
into a log and then into a short baguette about 12 inches long. The loaf will be loose and slightly irregular in shape. Cover an area at one side of the work surface with a thick layer of flour and place the loaf seam side down on the flour. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough, leaving plenty of space between the loaves--they will spread as they rise. Cover the loaves with a well-oiled plastic wrap and let them rise for about 1 hour.
9.Thirty minutes before baking, preheat the oven
to 475°F. Place a baking stone in the oven to
preheat and position an oven rack just below the
stone.
10.Sprinkle a peel very generously with cornmeal. Line an upside-down baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle very generously with cornmeal. Lift one loaf and flip it over onto the peel so the floured side is on top.
Gently tug on the ends to stretch the loaf to the full length of the peel (about 14 inches). Repeat with the remaining loaves, placing another one on the peel and the last one on the pan. Dimple each loaf with your finger in about six places, but don't deflate them too much.
11.Be sure the loaves are loosened from the
peel, then carefully slide them onto the baking
stone. Place the pan of bread on the rack below
the stone. Using a plant sprayer, quickly mist the loaves 8 to 10 times, then quickly shut the oven door. Mist the loaves again after 1 minute. Then mist again 1 minute later.
12.Bake for about 10 minutes, then reduce the
temperature to 450°F and bake for 15 minutes
longer, or until the loaves sound slightly hollow when tapped on the bottom and the crust is a medium to dark brown. (If the crust is not brown enough, the loaves will soften as they cool.)
Transfer the bread to a rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
From Amy's Bread, by Amy Scherber and Toy Kim