-
1
Put 3 1/4 cups of the flour into a large bowl.
-
2
Make a well in the center of the flour.
-
3
Crumble the fresh yeast into a small bowl.
-
4
Stir in 1/2 cup of the water until smooth.
-
5
Pour the yeast mixture into the well in the flour.
-
6
Then add the remaining water to the well and mix.
-
7
Mix the flour from the bowl into the yeast mixture in the well with your hand or a wooden spoon to make a very sticky batterlike dough.
-
8
Using your hand, beat the mixture for 5 minutes until very elastic.
-
9
Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel and let rise at room temperature, away from drafts, for 4 hours until it rises and collapses.
-
10
The dough will rise up enormously, so check that it does not stick to the dish towel.
-
11
Punch down the dough.
-
12
Add the oil and salt to the dough and mix briefly with your hand.
-
13
Then gradually work the rest of the flour in the bowl into the dough with your hand to make a soft, quite sticky dough.
-
14
When all the dough is smooth and the flour has been thoroughly combined, cover the bowl with a damp dish towel and let rise at room temperature, away from drafts, until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
-
15
Using a very sharp knife, divide the dough in half, disturbing the dough as little as possible.
-
16
Do not punch it down or try to knead or shape the dough at all.
-
17
Tip a portion of the dough onto each of 2 prepared baking sheets, (heavily floured), nudging it with a spatula, to form 2 rough-looking rectangular loaves, about 1 inch thick.
-
18
Sprinkle the loaves with flour and let rise, uncovered at room.
-
19
temperature, away from drafts, until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
-
20
During the last 15 min.
-
21
of rising, heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
-
22
Bake the loaves for about 35 minutes, or until they are browned and sound hollow when tapped underneath.
-
23
Transfer the loaves to wire racks until lukewarm, and then serve.
-
24
Or, eat within 24 hours, gently warmed.
-
25
Freeze for up to one week only.
-
26
This new Italian loaf, all the rage in London, comes from the area around Lake Como in the north, and it is supposed to resemble a slipper.
-
27
In any case, it is free-form- simply poured out of the bowl in which it has risen onto the baking sheet in a rough and ready rectangular loaf.
-
28
It has large holes, and a soft, but chewy, floury crust.
-
29
I find that many commercial loaves taste of stale olive oil or lack the pungency of good extra-virgin oil.
-
30
Finding a good recipe for this bread was difficult, and I made abut 30 before I was happy with the results.
-
31
As with the baguettes, it is not easy to achieve a perfect result the first time, even though the final loaf should taste very good.
-
32
I have not had good results whth easy-blend yeast or dried yeast granules, so I have only included instructions for using fresh yeast.
