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Amy's Crusty Italian Loaf Pt 1

Make Amy's Crusty Italian Loaf Pt 1 at home with Very Warm Water, Active Dry Yeast, Cool Water, Sponge Starter Recipe Follows, and Unbleached Allpurpose Flour. Save it, add the ingredients to your shopping list, and cook it tonight.

Illustrative photo

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup
• 3/4 tsp
• 1 cup
• 1 1/2 cup
• 3 1/2 cup
• 1 tbsp

Method (preview)

1. 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. 2

   Add the cool water and sponge starter to the yeast mixture and mix with your fingers for about 2 minutes, breaking up the sponge.

3. 3

   The mixture should look milky and slightly foamy.

4. 4

   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.

5. 5

   If the dough is not sticky, add 1 tablespoon of water.

6. 6

   Move the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until it becomes supple and fairly smooth.

7. 7

   Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes, covered with oiled plastic wrap. (This rest period is the autolyse.)

8. 8

   Knead the dough 3 to 5 minutes, until it is stretchy and smooth, yet still slightly sticky.

9. 9

   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.

10. 10

    Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature (75 to 77 degrees) for about 1 hour, or until the dough looks slightly puffy but has not doubled.

11. 11

    Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or preferably, overnight to let it relax, develop flavor, and become more manageable.