This bread recipe is truly special and worth making on a day when you want to relax, enjoy old movies, and treat yourself. It is a bread that requires patience, but the reward is worth it. Due to the rising time, it would be ideal to make it the night before, to allow it to reveal all its unique aroma and texture.
The first step is to mix the yeast with warm water, making sure the water is not too hot, so as not to kill the yeast. In another bowl, combine the flour with the salt, then add the yeast mixture. The resulting dough will be soft, sticky, and will seem almost impossible to shape. Don't worry, this is a sign that you've done well so far. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then with aluminum foil, and wrap it with a clean towel. Let it rest in the fridge overnight.
The next day, take the bowl out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about an hour. In the meantime, prepare a vessel in which you will let the dough rise. Place a clean cloth in the vessel and sprinkle a little cornmeal to prevent sticking. On the work surface, sprinkle a little white flour and carefully turn the dough out. It will be fragile, so use lightly floured hands to fold it from the four sides and bring it to the center.
Place the dough with the sticky side up in the prepared vessel, cover it again with plastic wrap, and let it rise for 15 minutes. After this interval, sprinkle a little cornmeal on the surface of the dough and let it sit in a warm place until it doubles in size.
About 20 minutes before baking the bread, preheat the oven to maximum temperature (475°F/250°C) and place a covered enameled cast iron pot inside the oven. When the oven is well heated, using oven mitts, take out the hot pot. Carefully turn the risen dough into the pot, ensuring that the side that was sticky is now facing up. Put the lid on and place the pot back in the oven.
For the first 20 minutes, do not lift the lid, as steam is essential for achieving a crispy crust. After this interval, remove the lid and let the bread bake for another 10 minutes, to brown nicely. When it is ready, take it out of the oven and let it cool on a rack.
This bread can be enjoyed plain, but for those who want a more intense flavor, they can add ingredients such as dried dill, cheese, or rosemary. I chose to leave it plain, just as our grandmothers did, thus allowing the authentic taste of homemade bread to shine through. Enjoy it with a cup of tea or coffee, and savor every bite.
The first step is to mix the yeast with warm water, making sure the water is not too hot, so as not to kill the yeast. In another bowl, combine the flour with the salt, then add the yeast mixture. The resulting dough will be soft, sticky, and will seem almost impossible to shape. Don't worry, this is a sign that you've done well so far. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then with aluminum foil, and wrap it with a clean towel. Let it rest in the fridge overnight.
The next day, take the bowl out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about an hour. In the meantime, prepare a vessel in which you will let the dough rise. Place a clean cloth in the vessel and sprinkle a little cornmeal to prevent sticking. On the work surface, sprinkle a little white flour and carefully turn the dough out. It will be fragile, so use lightly floured hands to fold it from the four sides and bring it to the center.
Place the dough with the sticky side up in the prepared vessel, cover it again with plastic wrap, and let it rise for 15 minutes. After this interval, sprinkle a little cornmeal on the surface of the dough and let it sit in a warm place until it doubles in size.
About 20 minutes before baking the bread, preheat the oven to maximum temperature (475°F/250°C) and place a covered enameled cast iron pot inside the oven. When the oven is well heated, using oven mitts, take out the hot pot. Carefully turn the risen dough into the pot, ensuring that the side that was sticky is now facing up. Put the lid on and place the pot back in the oven.
For the first 20 minutes, do not lift the lid, as steam is essential for achieving a crispy crust. After this interval, remove the lid and let the bread bake for another 10 minutes, to brown nicely. When it is ready, take it out of the oven and let it cool on a rack.
This bread can be enjoyed plain, but for those who want a more intense flavor, they can add ingredients such as dried dill, cheese, or rosemary. I chose to leave it plain, just as our grandmothers did, thus allowing the authentic taste of homemade bread to shine through. Enjoy it with a cup of tea or coffee, and savor every bite.
Ingredients
1 packet of dry yeast (mine has 7 grams) 1 and 1/2 cups of warm water (375 ml) (not hot) 3 cups (520 grams) of white flour 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of salt