Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon Dry yeast
1 tablespoon Salt
1 cup All-purpose flour
1 cup Water
3/4 cup Rye, barley or whole wheat flour
1/2 cup Water
4 cups All-purpose flour
3/4 cup Water
Preparation
Day One: combine first four ingredients in a bowl. Cover with a plate or plastic wrap. Leave on kitchen counter overnight.
Day Two: Add next two ingredients and stir to combine. Recover and let sit on counter another day.
Day Three: Put mixture into bowl of standing mixer with paddle blade. Add last 1/2 C water and 3 cups of flour. Stir on low speed until combined. Switch to dough hook; gradually add up to another cup of flour until dough just clears bowl. It is OK if it’s sticky.
Dust with flour, roll around in mixer bowl, cover with a plate or plastic wrap and let rise until double, usually a couple of hours.
I use a bread basket dusted with rice flour for the final rise. You could use a bowl. Punch dough down, fold into a neat round and place seam side down in basket or bowl. Cover with plastic and let rise again, usually an hour and a half.
Place a cast iron dutch oven with an oven-proof lid in the oven on the rack in the middle. Preheat oven to 500.
Remove dutch oven from oven, take off lid. Invert dough into your hands, and VERY CAREFULLY lower/plop into hot oven. Replace lid. Place in oven and bake 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to 350. Bake 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven, take off lid, and VERY CAREFULLY remove bread. Cool on rack.
