Adapted from the now-famous Sullivan Street Bakery recipe.
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast
1-1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp water
1 medium-large clove garlic, minced (optional)
1/4 tsp each cornmeal and sesame seeds (optional)
STEP 1: MIX & RISE
Whisk the flours, salt and yeast in a bowl until blended. Add the water and stir until a shaggy dough is formed. Put the bowl of dough in a plastic bag, twist-tie it, and set it in the oven with the oven light on to rise for 18-20 hours.
STEP 2 (12-18 HOURS LATER): FLOOP AND RISE
Spray a medium sized glass bowl with oil. Liberally smear a surface and your hands with flour, dump out the dough and fold it in on itself twice. Put the dough lump in the oiled bowl and cover it with a very well floured cotton towel. Let rise for another 2-3 hours.
STEP 3 (2 HOURS LATER): PREHEAT AND BAKE
30 minutes before the dough is ready, preheat the oven and a covered ceramic pot at 475 degrees. Peel the towel carefully off the dough. Take the heated pan out, sprinkle sesame seeds and cornmeal on the bottom (optional) and dump in the dough. Cover the pan and bake for 30 minutes. Take the cover off and bake for another 15-30 minutes, or until the loaf is browned and gorgeous.
STEP 4: WAIT! THEN EAT!
Cool on a rack or cutting board for at least 45 minutes until you cut into it. (It's still cooking!)
Notes: You may need more or less water depending on the consistency of your whole wheat flour. You want it to be shaggy and sticky. Next time I'm going to try for 1 cup stoneground whole wheat flour and 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour. Num num num. I use my ceramic crock pot insert for baking the bread. (I took off the plastic knob.) The past few times, I've just wrapped the lid in foil so as not to let the steam escape. Today, I replaced the original knob with a ceramic drawer pull from the hardware store. I had to buy a pack of 8-32" thick shorter screws and some washers to complete the installation.
Variation: Add 1/4 cup raw sugar, 1/4 cup sucanat, 2 Tbsp cinnamon and 3 handfuls raisins to the first mix. Cinnamon raisin bread!
