How Do You Make Italian Rustic Bread?
• Day One • Combine water yeast and flour in a very clean large bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside 12 to 36 hours. The sponge will look bubbly and smell yeasty. • Day Two • Best to start at the beginning of the day, as proofing takes quite a while. • In a second large bowl sprinkle the yeast in to the warm water, swirl until the yeast starts to dissolve and let stand for ten minutes. This will let the yeast “bloom”. • Add flour a cup at a time and incorporate vigorously in to the water. A wooden spoon serves nicely at first, toward the end you will need to use your hand. Work the dough around until all the ingredients are well combined and a dough ball forms. • Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 30 minutes. • Generously flour your counter and scrape the fresh dough on to it. • Add salt and pour the sponge over the top, it is likely to be wet and sticky. • Knead by folding over and over again until the mixtures are smoothly combined, you can keep adding s
