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We Need A Bigger Kitchen

Evidence: I was baking this afternoon while Nancie was trying to frost a cake. I wish I had a picture of the result; but here's where I wound up trying to mix and raise the bread:



In case you're not sure, I'm doing this on the stove (next to the cookie sheet and loaf pans that I had to take out of the oven because we were baking the cake). What you see in the background is the microwave on the counter and the various things we have to have there in order to keep them off the counter. We manage, though. Somehow or other :-)

So what I'm making right now is Tuscan White Hearth Bread from Everything Bread. This is unusual in that it has no salt. Or sugar; just water, flour, and yeast. It's the perfect kind of bread to use with spaghetti that has a lot of sauce on it. It might even be the excuse to make a little bit of extra sauce for the pasta!

Tuscan White Hearth Bread

  • 1¼ cups warm water

  • 1¾ tsp. active dry yeast (1 package)

  • ¼ cup whole wheat flour (I didn't have any so I just added more bread flour)

  • 2 – 3 cups bread flour

  • ¼ cup cornmeal


Combine the water and yeast in a large bowl. Stir to dissolve and let stand until foamy (about 10 minutes).


Add whole wheat flour and bread flour to make a firm dough (not one that you can squash easily in your fist). Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 8 – 10 minutes. Return to bowl, dust lightly with flour,and cover loosely with damp cloth. Rise at room temperature until doubled (about 2 hours).



Line a baking sheet with parchment; dust with cornmeal. (I never actually do this; I haven't noticed a difference yet.) Turn risen dough onto a floured surface and form into a large, round loaf. (Here is an excellent guide to forming a boule, if you're not sure of the technique.) Place on the baking sheet seam side down, dust again with flour, and let rise another 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C; Gas Mark 6).



Dust the top of the risen dough generously with flour (again!) and, using a serrated knife, slice a crosshatch into the surface of the bread, 1 inch deep. Place a pan of water at the bottom of the oven to create steam (to make the bread really crusty and delicious). Bake about 40 – 50 minutes or until golden brown and hollow sounding. Cool completely on a rack before slicing.


The bread is about halfway through rising right now; it looks like I'm not going to have time to completely finish this before dinner. I may oil the top, put it in the fridge overnight, and finish it early tomorrow morning. I'll let you know in tomorrow's entry how it turns out.

God speed, and remember, All sorrows are less with bread.
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