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1
The day before making the bread or early in the day, make the poolish (or biga) by placing 8 ounces of the flour, 7 ounces of room temperature water and the yeast in a large bowl and mixing it well with a wooden spoon.
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2
Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it stand for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator overnight.
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3
The poolish should double in volume.
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4
Add 1 pound of the flour and 12 ounces of room temperature water to the poolish and mix together well with your hands.
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5
It will be very sticky.
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6
Cover the bowl with the kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
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7
Sprinkle the salt over the surface of the dough and then fold the dough onto itself several times until the salt is incorporated.
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8
Cover the bowl with the kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 1 hour.
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9
Cover your hands with flour and sprinkle flour around the outside edge of the dough.
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10
Fold the dough onto itself 6 to 8 times.
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11
Cover the bowl with the kitchen towel and let rest for 1 hour.
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12
Fold the dough onto itself 6 to 8 times, dust a board generously with flour and pour the dough out onto the board.
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13
Divide the dough into two equal parts and turn and form each part into a ball, stretching the dough to form a smooth top.
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14
Sprinkle flour heavily in 2 separate bowls (there should be enough flour to keep the dough from sticking) and turn each ball of dough upside down into a bowl.
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15
Sprinkle the top of each ball with flour, cover each bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.
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16
Preheat an oven to 500 degrees F and line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
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17
Turn each ball of dough bottom-side up onto its own sheet pan and use a knife or razor blade to score a tic-tac-toe design on the top of each loaf.
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18
Place the loaves in the oven, immediately lower the temperature to 450 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes.
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19
(Do not open the oven door!)
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20
The loaves are done when they are golden brown and make a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.
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21
Cool the loaves on a baking rack.
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22
From Food Network Kitchen: To ensure the best results, this recipe has been altered from what was originally published.
