Peasant Wheat Loaf Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the bread flour, whole-wheat flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees F) and mix with your hands or a spoon until the dough comes together (it will be wet and sticky). Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap. If you have extra time, refrigerate 12 to 24 hours; this is not necessary but will improve the flavor of the bread.
• Let the dough rise, covered, at room temperature for about 18 hours; this rise is necessary whether you refrigerate the dough first or not. The surface will be bubbly after rising.
• Generously dust a work surface with all-purpose flour. Turn the dough out onto the flour, then sprinkle flour on top. Fold the top and bottom of the dough into the center, then fold in the sides to make a free-form square. Use a dough scraper or a spatula to turn the dough over, then tuck the corners under to form a ball.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and generously dust with flour. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet, seam-side down, and sprinkle with more flour. Cover with a cotton kitchen towel (do not use terry cloth) and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 2 to 3 hours.
• Position a rack in the bottom of the oven and place a 2- or 4-quart cast-iron or enameled Dutch oven (without the lid) on the rack. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F for at least 30 minutes. When the dough has doubled, carefully transfer the hot pot to a heatproof surface. Uncover the dough, lift up the parchment and quickly invert the dough into the pot (shake the pot to center the dough, if necessary). Cover with the lid and bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until brown and crusty, 15 to 30 more minutes. Turn out onto a rack to cool.

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add the yeast mixture and remaining water; stir until combined. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Stir dough down. Divide in half. Place each half in a greased 1-qt. round casserole or ovenproof bowl. Brush tops with butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. , Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Remove from pans; serve warm if desired.

Steps:

• Place flours, yeast and salt in a Cuisinart food processor fitted with a metal blade, and whirl to blend. Using an instant-read thermometer, determine the temperature of the flour.
• Measure 1 1/4 cups water, adjusting the temperature of the water so that when its temperature and that of the flour are added together, the total is 130.
• Pour in the starter and, with the machine running, pour in the water through the feed tube and process 20 seconds. If the dough seems dry and does not come together to form a ball, add 2 more tablespoons water.
• Process the dough for another 25 seconds. Test the temperature; it should be 75 to 80 degrees. If it is lower, process it at 5-second intervals until it warms. If it is higher, refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Place the dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 3 hours. Turn it onto a lightly floured board, shape it into a round loaf and place it, seam side up, in a well-floured round banneton or a cloth-lined basket. Dust with flour, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 12 to 16 hours.
• Remove the basket of dough from the refrigerator, and leave at room temperature 1 to 2 hours, until it is about 62 degrees and springs back very slowly when pressed.
• One hour before baking, place a baking stone on a low oven rack and a pan for water on the oven floor. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
• Turn the loaf out, seam side down, onto a bakers' peel heavily dusted with cornmeal. Make four 1/2-inch-deep slashes in the top of the loaf, forming a large square. Dust lightly with flour.
• Pour a cup of hot water into the pan on the bottom of the oven. Slide the loaf directly onto the stone. Reduce heat to 450 degrees, and bake 2 minutes. Add another cup of water to the pan, and bake 15 minutes. Rotate the bread so it bakes evenly, and bake another 25 to 30 minutes, until the bread is a deep brown and the internal temperature has reached about 205 degrees. (Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees during the last 20 minutes if the bread is browning too fast.)
• Remove the bread from the oven, and cool completely on a rack before cutting.

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 1/4 cup water and yeast. Let stand until yeast is foamy, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup more water and sponge; mix on low speed using paddle, about 2 minutes. Add flours, salt, and remaining water; mix 1 minute more. Using dough hook, mix on medium-low speed, pulling dough from hook 2 or 3 times, until dough is soft and sticks to fingers when squeezed, about 8 minutes. Or knead by hand, 15 to 20 minutes.
• On a floured surface, knead dough into a ball by hand, 4 or 5 turns. Place smooth side up in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until tripled in bulk, about 3 hours.
• Turn dough onto floured surface. Flour top, and cut in half. Roll up one piece of dough lengthwise, flatten slightly, and roll lengthwise again. On an unfloured surface, cup your hands around the sides of the dough and move it in small, circular motions, until top of dough is rounded and bottom is smooth. Flour a piece of parchment, and place dough on it; cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap, then cover with a towel. Repeat process with second piece of dough. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 50 minutes. 30 minutes before this final rise is completed, place a baking stone or baking sheet in the oven and an empty baking pan on the lowest shelf; heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Sprinkle dough with flour, and dimple the surface with your fingertips; let rise 10 minutes more. Using a baker's peel or baking sheet, slide loaves and parchment onto the baking stone or baking sheet. Pour 2 cups very hot water into the heated baking pan to create steam. Bake until dark golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped on the bottom, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.