Ingredients
Starter
1 cup (227g) cool to lukewarm water (90°F to
100°F)
1/2 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast
1 1/4 cups (149g) King Arthur Unbleached
Bread Flour
1/4 cup (28g) King Arthur Premium 100%
Whole Wheat Flour
Dough
all of the starter (above)
1 cup (227g) lukewarm water (100°F to 115°F)
3/4 teaspoon active dry or 1/2 teaspoon
instant yeast
1 tablespoon (14g) sugar
3 3/4 to 4 cups (450g to 480g) King Arthur
Unbleached Bread Flour
1 1/2 to 2 1/4 teaspoons salt, to taste
Instructions
To make the starter: Stir all of the starter ingredients
together to make a thick, pudding-like mixture. Cover with
plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 2 hours. For best
flavor, let the starter rest longer; overnight (up to 16 hours) is
best. If you plan on making the dough in a bread machine,
place the sponge ingredients in the bucket, and turn the
machine on for just a few seconds to mix the ingredients
together. Turn the machine off and close the cover, then let
the starter rest as directed above.
To make the dough: Stir down the starter with a spoon and
add the water, yeast, sugar, 3 1/4 cups (390g) of the flour, and
the salt. The dough will be a loose, messy mass. Let it rest
for 12 to 15 minutes, then stir it again; it should become more
cohesive and a bit smoother. Dough handles better once it's
had time for the flour to absorb the water while resting and
relaxing. By using this method, you'll tend to add less flour,
and have much bigger holes in your finished bread.
Knead the dough, adding up to an additional 3/4 cup (90g)
flour (as necessary to make a soft dough), 10 to 12 minutes.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or plastic container,
cover with lightly greased plastic wrap, and let it rise until
almost doubled (depending on the weather, this could be 1 to
2 hours). If you're going out, or if you prefer, let the dough
rise slowly in the fridge. If your dough has been refrigerated,
allow it to come to room temperature before shaping; it'll
warm up and rise at the same time.
Deflate the dough gently, but don't knock out all the air; this
will create those "holes" so important to French bread. For
one large loaf, form the dough into a round ball; for two
loaves, divide the dough in half and shape into two balls.
Place a semolina- or cornmeal-dusted piece of parchment
paper onto a baking sheet. Gently place the ball(s) of dough
on the baking sheet, seam-side down.
Cover the bread gently with lightly greased plastic wrap, and
let it rise until it's puffy and about 40% to 50% larger,
anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 475°F.
Slash or cross-hatch the bread with a sharp knife or lame.
Dust it with a little flour. Spritz water into the oven with a
clean plant mister, and place the bread in the oven. Reduce
the heat to 425°F and spritz with water every few minutes for
the first 15 minutes of baking.
Bake the bread for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until it's a rich
golden brown, and its interior temperature registers at least
190°F on a digital thermometer. The smaller loaves will bake
more quickly, so keep your eye on them.
Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. Store
bread, loosely wrapped in paper, for a couple of days at room
temperature; wrap it in plastic and freeze for longer storage.