Crusty Bread
2007 Oregon's Best Winner

Makes 2 loaves, 16 servings each. 200 calories per serving.

Ingredients

Preparation

1. In a large bowl combine flours, yeast and salt. Add the water and stir until well blended; the dough will be very sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise 12-18 hours at 70 degrees or warmer. The dough is ready when the surface is dotted with bubbles.
2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle with a little more flour. Fold dough onto itself a couple of times. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
3. Gently shape dough into a ball and place seam side down into a cotton (smooth, not shaggy) towel that has been generously dusted with flour. Dust with additional flour and fold the towel over the top of the ball. Allow to rise until about double in size, approximately 2 hours. The dough will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. A half hour before the dough is ready preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Put a heavy covered pot (Dutch oven, Pyrex or ceramic covered pot 3 ½ quarts or larger) into the oven while it preheats. When the dough is ready, remove the pot from the oven and carefully transfer the dough ball into the pot. Shake the pot to settle the ball, replace the lid and return the pot to the oven. Bake with the lid on for 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake another 15-30 minutes, until the loaf is nicely browned. Remove and cool on a rack.

2007 Bob's Best Home-baked Bread Contest - Bob's Red Mill Flour
Rob Stone
Washington County