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1
Put ingredients, in order listed, into bread machine pan.
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2
Set machine for dough cycle and start.
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3
At end of dough cycle, turn dough out onto a floured surface.
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4
If dough is too sticky, knead in a little additional flour.
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5
Divide dough into 2 equal portions and flatten each into a 1 1/2 inch thick oval.
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6
Fold oval in half once lengthwise and pinch seam to make an elongate loaf.
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7
Sprinkle cornmeal on a baking sheet and place the loaves on the sheet seam side down.
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8
Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees F) until about doubled in bulk.
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9
Place a shallow pan of hot water on the lower shelf of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
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10
Make shallow slashes in tops of loaves with a razor blade or finely serrated knife, held at a 30 degree angle.
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11
Place the loaves in the oven and immediately spray them and the oven walls with water from a fine mister, and avoid spraying oven light.
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12
Repeat this spraying 3 additional times at one minute intervals.
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13
Continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes or until brown, but remove pan of water from oven after the first 15 minutes.
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14
Remove loaves from baking sheet and cool on wire racks.
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15
*To proof sourdough culture, start with 1/2 cup of culture and stir into it 1 1/2 cups warm water and 1 1/2 cups flour.
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16
Cover with plastic and let sit 8 to 12 hours (the longer it sits, the more 'sour' your bread will taste).
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17
At this point, measure out the 2 cups required and proceed with recipe; returning any extra to the starter pot to save in the refrigerator until you want to use it again.
