Best Bread

In a 5 or 6 quart bowl or lidded dough bucket, dump in the water, and add the yeast and salt. Because the mixture is being worked quickly, it doesn’t matter that the salt and yeast are combined.

Dump in the flour all at once and stir with a long handled wooden spoon or a Danish Dough Whisk until all of the flour is incorporated into the dough, which will be a wet rough dough.

Put the lid on the container, but not snapped shut to allow the gases from the yeast to escape. You can also put a little hole in the top of the lid for this purpose. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for about 2 hours to rise (it may take longer based on yeast quantity and room temperature).

After rising, the dough can be used immediately or chilled, which makes it easier to handle. For refrigeration, leave the lid open a crack for the first two days to allow gases to escape, then usually snap down the lid on plastic containers without sealing glass containers.

Dust the surface of the dough with flour just enough to prevent it from sticking to your hands. Cut off a 1-pound piece of dough and form it into a ball.

Place the shaped ball on a sheet of parchment paper and let it rest for at least 40 minutes, up to 90 minutes for a more open hole structure. The loaf may spread sideways during this rest.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F with a Baking Stone on the center rack and a metal broiler tray on the bottom, to be used for steam. Never use a glass vessel.

Cut the loaf with 0.25-inch deep slashes using a serrated bread knife. Slide the loaf into the oven onto the preheated stone and add a cup of hot water to the broiler tray. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a deep brown color. Remove parchment paper after 20-25 minutes if used.

Allow the loaf to cool on a rack until it reaches room temperature before cutting. This ensures the best texture and crust.