This bread is from a recipe I found in Mother Earth News Magazine.  It is easy, and simple, but takes about a day from start to finish.  there is an entire article written about the journey to find this recipe, and it is just amazing – as long as you can have wheat and/or gluten.  I tried it once with non gluten flours and while it still sort of works, it is not the same.

The concept:

• 1/4 tsp yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 3 cups flour – your choice of white/whole wheat etc.
• 1 tsp salt

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the flour and salt and mix with a wooden spoon.  Cover with plastic wrap, place in a warm place to grow, and ignore for 8-12 hours.

Sprinkle it with flour and fold over on itself a couple of times. Ignore again for 15 minutes.  Then kinda make a ball with it, just using enough flour to keep it from sticking too much to your hands. 

Leave it for 2-4 hours.

Preheat your oven at 425 degrees and place a casserole dish/dutch oven with a lid [ cast iron, enamel, ceramic, glass all work] to heat up with the oven.  They say for 20 minutes, I just put it in to warm up with the oven.

Carefully dump the doughy mass into the hot casserole dish, and sprinkle the top with cornmeal or wheat bran. Put the lid on and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the cover and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until it is browned nicely.

Enjoy.
First published June 1, 2008