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1/2 cup Active Simple Wheat Starter
(measure after feeding and resting)
12 ounces unbleached bread flour
(3-1/4 to 4 cups)
1 ounce stone-ground whole wheat flour
1-1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
scant 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 cup water (8 ounces)
Cornmeal for the peel or baking sheet
Flour for dusting
Farm House Bread
“Long Cool Rise” Adapted from: Charles van Over,
The Best Bread Ever: Great Home Made Bread Using Your Food Processor,
Broadway Books, 1997
The two long rising periods – one at room temperature and a second in the refrigerator
– give this bread a rich and subtle sour flavor in the tradition of the great breads made
in European farmhouse kitchens in the past. This dough is very forgiving; you can mix
it in the morning and bake at night or mix late in the day to bake early the next morning.
Makes two long loaves
Preparation: 30 minutes, plus 2 hours to activate the Simple Wheat Starter,
10 to 18 hours rising time, 25 minutes baking time, and 1 hour or longer for cooling
Two to four hours before mixing this dough, feed your Simple Wheat Starter. Allow the starter to sit at
room temperature until it is frothy, bubbly and visibly active.
Insert the dough blade. Combine the flours, salt, yeast, and starter in the work bowl. Test the
temperature of the flour mixture using an instant read thermometer. Adjust the water temperature so
that the individual temperatures of the flour mixture and water when combined equal 145°F (i.e. if the
flour is 75°F, then the water must be 70°F). This is the base temperature. With the machine running,
add the water through the small feed tube and process for 45 seconds. Transfer the dough to a large
ungreased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 3 to 5 hours at room temperature.
Place the bowl of risen bread dough in the refrigerator for 6 to 12 hours to extend the fermentation
and develop the flavor in the dough.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Scrape it onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into two
equal pieces and shape into rough balls. Let rest, covered for about an hour, until the dough comes
up to room temperature. Roll each piece of dough into a thin log shape about 12 inches long. Arrange
a floured canvas or towel to form two channels. Tuck the loaves into the channels with the seam up;
cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 to 45 minutes, until the dough increases in size by 50 per-
cent. The dough will feel soft, but will spring back when poked with your finger.
Move the uppermost rack of the oven so that it is about 8 inches from the top of the oven and place a
baking stone on the rack. Place a small cast-iron skillet to preheat on the floor or lower rack of the
oven. Preheat the oven to 475°F.
Gently transfer the loaves with the seam down onto a baker’s peel or the back of a baking sheet that
has been dusted with cornmeal. Sprinkle the top of each loaf with flour. Use a serrated knife to cut 4
long parallel slashes along the length of each loaf at a 45° angle. Slide the loaves directly onto the
preheated baking stone. Carefully pour 1 cup of warm water into the cast-iron pan on the oven floor.
Reduce the heat to 450°F. Bake the loaves for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the
loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove the loaves from the oven and place on a
rack to cool completely before slicing or storing.
Nutritional analysis per serving:
Calories 123 (from fat 1%) • pro. 5g • carbo. 27g • fat 0g
sat. fat 0g • chol. 0mg • sod. 323mg • fiber 2g
