From Jeff Cox

This recipe is a consolidation of several recipes, but I owe the greatest debt to Edward Behr, who writes, illustrates, and publishes what’s possibly the finest newsletter on food in the country, “The Art of Eating.” It’s a quarterly that costs $48 a year and is well worth it. (You can subscribe by writing to Box 242, Peacham, Vermont 05862.) Ed’s Winter, 1994, issue entitled, “A Well-Crafted White Loaf” got me going in all the right directions.

I experimented with the recipe after interviewing many bakers; checking in with Professor Raymond Calvel’s book entitled, “The Taste of Bread;” re-reading Elizabeth David’s “English Bread and Yeast Cookery;” taking some no-kneading tips from Suzanne Dunaway in Los Angeles; tweaking things a bit according to information from Kathleen Weber at Della Fattoria bakery in Petaluma; adding more water than I thought possible after reading what Craig Ponsford of Artisan Bakery in Sonoma had to say about slack doughs, and trying a few tricks of my own. You can use organic flour from Giusto’s, Arrowhead Mills, or any of several other millers. The Cox household is now always well supplied with delicious homemade bread of the first quality. I think it’s better than any I can buy, in any store from any source—but that may be because I make it myself.

First of all, you’ll need some good equipment if you are going to make fine bread at home. All the following equipment can be purchased from The Baker’s Catalog, P.O. Box 876, Norwich, Vermont 05055. This company makes it easy for you to get going. You can access them online at BakersCatalogue.com. The catalog itself is full of excellent bread-baking information as well as tools.

A baking stone really helps give your bread a professional finish. It’s a heavy, rectangular, ceramic block that fits in your oven and soaks up intense heat. When you slide your bread dough onto it, the stone gives positive bottom heat to your bread, which helps it rise and finish properly. You’ll also need a peel—a large, flat-bladed wooden paddle used for sliding dough into the oven, moving loaves as needed, and removing breads when they’re done. You’ll need a lame, a French tool for slashing the tops of your loaves before putting them in the oven. You could try using a knife—I did, and it usually fails to slice the loaf open properly, tearing at the dough and partially collapsing it. At last look, the lame costs only $6.95 and has proven its worth to me many times over.

You may want to buy some dough-rising baskets made of coiled wooden dowels that give your bread a professional beehive look. And you may want to purchase a couche—an untreated baker’s cloth made of flax into whose folds you lay your dough for rising. Finally, do you have one of those cast iron cornbread molds, the ones with eight depressions that turn out cob-shaped cornbread? I use mine to get the right amount of steam into the oven for the first 10 minutes of the bake. I’ll explain how I use it later in this recipe.

This recipe takes several days. Time it so that you’ll be around all day on baking day. The previous days take only a few minutes work.

On the first day, in a large bowl, I mix two cups of all-purpose organic white flour with two cups of lukewarm water, a half teaspoon of dried yeast, and a heaping tablespoon of kosher salt. The salt retards the development of the yeast. Don’t be afraid that you’re not adding enough yeast. This recipe takes enough time for the scant amount of yeast added this first day to multiply manyfold. Stirring is done with a wooden spoon just until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. I cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel wet with hot tap water and wrung out, with a plate set on top to hold the towel in place. The bowl sits on my warm kitchen countertop away from any drafts.

On the second day, I stir in ½ cup or slightly more of lukewarm water, 1 cup of white whole wheat flour, a half cup of rye flour, and a good handful of rolled organic oats. I re-wet the dishtowel and cover the bowl with the towel and the plate again.

On the third day, it’s time to bake. Soon after I get up in the morning, I take out my largest bowl and mix five cups of all-purpose organic white flour with about 2 ½ cups of lukewarm water—enough so that the dough holds together. I remove this sticky mass to a floured surface and gently knead it for two or three minutes, then return it to the large bowl and let it rest for 30 or 40 minutes. The exact amount of time isn’t critical, but the resting period is what Professor Calvel calls the autolyze and is responsible for heightened flavor in the final bread. I usually let it rest while I eat breakfast and read the comics in the newspaper.

After the autolyze, I uncover the bowl containing the poolish, as the mixture that’s been sitting for two days is called. Now the mixture is supercharged with active yeast ready to go. Using a spatula, I scrape the poolish into the large bowl with the rested dough, getting as much as possible. Then I use my hands to squeeze and mix the poolish and the new dough together until they are fairly well incorporated. Flouring the hands at this point is more ritual than practicality, for this mixed dough will be powerfully sticky. Wetting your hands works better. With both hands stuck full of dough, get as much of the mixture as you can and transfer it to a board heavily floured with all purpose white flour. Scrape the sticky stuff off your hands and fingers and push it into the dough, which will be runny—and may even try to run off the board. Don’t let it. Heavily flour the top surface of the dough and push it back into the flour on the board with your hands. Once you’re sure that the dough will behave itself and stay put, quickly wash your hands (this will be a relief), dry them, and flour them. You’ll continue to use the white all purpose flour for these steps.

Now fold the dough in half, then gently pull it out to its former size. Give it a half turn, fold and pull. Use as much flour as you need to keep the surface from being so sticky you can’t fold and pull. Spend a minute flouring, folding, and stretching the dough so it holds together and can be kneaded. Then knead it for eight to 10 minutes to work up the gluten that causes the bread to be stretchy and chewy. Knead by pushing the dough with the heels of both palms, then give the dough a quarter turn, fold it in half, and push again with the heels of your palms. Repeat this for the duration of the knead. If it begins to stick to the board, use flour to prevent that. At the end of the kneading time, your dough will have incorporated enough fresh flour that it will stay put on your board, although it will still be moist. Go to the sink and thoroughly wash your largest bowl with hot water. Dry it and wipe the inside of the bowl with a paper towel wet with a little olive oil. Being careful not to let your dough tear or pull apart, use both hands to transfer it from the board to the bowl. Cover the top with a dishtowel wet with hot water and wrung out. Set the bowl aside in a warm (75 to 80 degrees is ideal), draft-free spot to let the dough proof (rise) for a good four hours. At the end of that time, it should have nearly tripled in size.

Gently pull the dough away from the sides of the bowl. If any sticks, use a rubber spatula to free it, and deflate the dough into the bottom of the bowl. Cover it again and allow it to rise in your warm spot for two hours, when it will have at least doubled in size, if not tripled.

I like to use three of the coiled-dowel baskets to make three loaves. If I’m going to make two large round loaves, I get two round-bottomed baskets about 10 or 11 inches in diameter and about eight or nine inches deep and line them with fine cloth napkins well dusted with flour. If I’m making long, narrow loaves, I dust my couche with flour to prepare it.

I now gently remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured board. If I’m going to make three loaves, I divide it into thirds. If making two large round loaves, I’ll divide the dough into equal halves with a slice of a sharp knife. If I’m going to make long, narrow loaves, I’ll slice it into four equal pieces. I try not to deflate the dough any more than I have to during these procedures.

Once the dough is divided, I either gently pat it into large rounds and place them with their smoothest side down in the baskets, or gently form them into four loaves about four inches across and about 12 inches long. These get carried to the couche one by one. Fold the couche into hills and valleys and lay each piece of dough into a valley so that each is given a fold in which to proof. To prevent the couche from flattening out, I prop up either end of the flax with a jar or bottle of water—whatever’s heavy enough to prevent the couche’s folds from flattening out. Then I dust the top of the dough, whether basket or couche, with a little light dusting of organic yellow cornmeal.

I then cover each basket or the entire couche by lightly floating a length of cling wrap over the top. Don’t tuck the wrap; just let it settle gently on top without help.

The final rise will take one hour. Remove any oven racks from your stove except the middle one and the one below it. Place your baking stone on this middle rack and place your cast iron cornbread mold (or cast iron skillet if you don’t have the mold) on the bottom rack. When the final rise is half over—that is, when there’s a half hour to go—turn on the oven to 500 degrees. It takes a good half hour for the oven and the baking stone to reach an even 500 degrees.

When the final rise is finished, it’s time to bake. Get eight ice cubes ready. Uncover the dough. Get your lame and a glass of water at the ready. Quickly open the oven door and sprinkle the stone with a light dusting of cornmeal. Close the door quickly.

For round loaves, have your peel lightly dusted with cornmeal. Place it over the top of the round loaves and invert the baskets. The basket, whether the round dowel type or one lined with a floured cloth, should lift right off. Make your slashes with the lame, dipping it in water between cuts. For round loaves, I use three slashes that cross in the center. It may take some practice to be able to make quick, sure slashes that don’t tear and deflate the dough.

Open the oven door and slide the dough off the peel and onto one side of the stone. Close the door. Slash and insert the second loaf onto the other side of the stone. Toss one ice cube into each of the segments of the iron cornbread mold, or all eight into the iron skillet. Close the door immediately.

For narrow loaves, flip a loaf from one end of the couche onto a lightly cornmealed wooden board about six inches wide and at least a foot long, take it to the peel, and slide or flip it on. Repeat until all four loaves are on the peel, or place them on the peel and in the oven one by one—whatever seems easiest to you. Using the lame, I make four equally-spaced oblique slashes across the top of each long loaf. You can be creative with your slashes if you wish, making one long one, a wavy one, or whatever. I find four obliques to do the job and give an aesthetically pleasing appearance. It helps to dip the lame in water after each slash.

Slide the loaves off the peel onto the stone with a quick back and forth shake, quickly add the ice cubes, and close the door.

The reason for the ice cubes is the same reason why professional ovens have steam injectors. The ice cubes turn to steam and evaporate over the first 10 minutes or so of the bake and produce a beautiful, crispy crust.

The bread should bake at 500 degrees for 15 minutes. Then turn down the oven to 350 for another half hour. At that time, your bread should be done. Slide the peel under each loaf and remove it from the oven. Turn it upside down and thump the bottom. It should sound hollow. Set the breads right side up to cool on racks. I find round, wire-mesh pizza baking screens ideal. Set the pizza screen atop a bowl so air can circulate freely around the loaf.

Try to restrain yourself from breaking into a loaf before it’s relatively cool. Allow any loaves you don’t want to use right away to cool completely before placing them in plastic bags to freeze. When you want to use them, allow them to thaw out at room temperature in their plastic bags.

You may find that you have room for only one round or two long loaves on your stone. If so, do consecutive bakes. Bake one round loaf or two narrow loaves as above, allowing the remaining dough to rest in its basket or in the couche. When the first bake is done, turn the oven back up to 500 and wait 15 minutes before beginning the second bake, which is done just like the first.

I have used this recipe many times and find it to be superb. You’ll find your loaves will have a beautiful crust and an internal structure full of holes, with a slightly translucent, stretchy, deliciously chewy texture. The whole wheat, rye, and oats give real flavor to plain white bread. I enjoy inhaling the aroma of this bread almost as much as I do eating it. You’ll also notice with pleasure that this bread will last for days and days without getting stale.

Many variations are possible. Using more whole wheat will give a denser, if more nutritious, loaf. More rye flour gives you a heavier rye bread (and stickier dough to work with). Rice flour can be added, along with a handful or two of rolled organic oats when you’re making the consolidated dough on day three from the poolish and the autolyzed dough. Black walnut meats, if freshly shelled and full of aromatics, are wonderful in bread. Oil-cured olives can be pitted, roughly chopped, and added for little flavor bursts. Garlic cloves can be baked until soft, rough chopped, and added. Fennel seed, caraway seed for the rye, pumpkin seed, sunflower seeds, and other seeds will give a chewier texture and varying flavor layers. But before you start experimenting with additions, perfect your basic bread as given in the recipe above.
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See also Jeff’s The Wine Between Heaven And Earth
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Jeff Cox is author of The Organic Cook’s Bible and The Organic Food Shopper’s Guide, and numerous other cooking, gardening, and wine books, and lives in Sonoma County, California.
Image Credit: © Jana Rodic | Dreamstime.com
OrganicToBe.org | OrganicToGo.com
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