Amy’s Bread Pt 1

***HOW TO PREPARE THE SPONGE STARTER***

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 stiff; it gets softer
and more elastic after it has poofed. 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.

How To Prepare the Crusty Italian Loaf:

Combine the warm water and yeast in a large bowl and stir with a fork
to dissolve the yeast. Let stand for 3 minutes.

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.

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.

Move the dough into 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.) Knead for dough for 3 – 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 dough rise at room temperature (75 – 77 F) for
about 1 hour, or until the dough looks slightly puffy but has not
doubled.

Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or
preferably, overnight to let it relax, develop flavor, and become
more manageable. 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. 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 into a log and then into a short banquette
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 well –
oiled plastic wrap and let them rise for about one hour. 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. 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 fingers in abut 6 places, but
don’t deflate them too much. 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 – 10 times, then quickly shut the oven door. Mist
the loaves again after one minute. Then mist again 1 minute later.

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.

Notes: Amy Scherber is the owner of “Amy’s Bread” in New York City
and the author of the book by the same name. Her bread is sold at
numerous places throughout NYC including Union Square Cafe, The Water
Club, Dean & Deluca, Balducci’s, and Fairway. Here is a recipe for a
crusty Italian