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1.
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Pour the water into a large bowl or plastic container -- one that you won't miss, since it may be in the fridge for a few days -- then sprinkle in the yeast, salt, and vinegar.
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2.
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Use a wooden spoon to stir in the flours, and mix until there are no dry patches.
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The dough's texture may seem all wrong: too loose, too shaggy, too sticky.
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This is fine.
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3.
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Cover it with plastic wrap or a shower cap and let it rest and rise at a warm room temperature for at least 2 hours and up to 5 hours.
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4.
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At this point, you can bake it or refrigerate it for up to two weeks to bake later.
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5.
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To bake it: sprinkle some flour across the surface of the dough and use a knife to cut off a piece that's about a third of it; refrigerate the remaining dough.
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6.
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Turn the dough in your hands to stretch its surface, pulling it under to create a taut, rounded top and a gathered-up bottom (imagine that you're giving the dough a firming face lift and tucking all that baggy, extra skin underneath).
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You will want to do this kind of quickly, keeping your fingers moving lightly over the surface of the dough, rather than plunging them inside, where they will stick.
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If your hands get doughy, stop what you're doing, wash and dry them, reflour the dough, and try again.
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7.
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Sprinkle a pizza peel or wooden cutting board heavily with flour then lightly with cornmeal, put the loaf on it, sprinkle the top with flour, cover it lightly with a dish towel, and let it rest for 40 minutes (if you're using refrigerated dough, increase this rest time to 1 1/2 hours).
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8.
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Half an hour before the dough is ready, heat the oven to 450 F, and put a heavy, covered pot inside to heat.
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I use a Corning ceramic baking dish with a glass lid, but cast iron, enamel, Pyrex, or ceramic all work well, so long as it holds at least 2.5 quarts and has a lid.
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9.
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When the dough has rested, use a serrated or very sharp knife to slash an X across its top; do this with authority, so that the knife doesn't stick and so that the slashes are a good quarter-inch deep.
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10.
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Pull the pot out of the oven, remove the lid, put the loaf in X-side up, replace the lid, and pop it into the oven.
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Did that go okay?
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Not so great?
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The dough stuck a little to the board and your hands and dumped into the pot at a weird angle?
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Don't fret.
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It will figure itself out in the oven.
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11.
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Bake the dough for 25 minutes, covered, then remove the cover and bake another 15 minutes.
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12.
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At this point, it should be beautifully browned.
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13.
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Cool on a rack before slicing, or you will end up with a mess of damp, shaggy crumbs.
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I know you're going to eat it hot anyways, but I just wanted to have said that.
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Ingredient Note: In this version, I used 3 cups white, 3 cups whole wheat, and 1/4 cup each ground flax and wheat germ.
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My usual recipe is 2 cups white, 2 cups wheat, 1 cup white wheat, 1 cup rye, and 1/4 cup each ground flax and wheat germ; this makes a quite dense and grainy and wholesome loaf.
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Make it with all white flour, and your kids will fall to their knees in gratitude -- or mine will, if you invite them over.
