Tuscan Bread - yeast

Method

• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water.
• Mix the 2 flours and stir them in to make a soft dough.
• Knead 10 minutes by hand, or 4 minutes in a heavy duty mixer with a dough hook.
• Oil a clean bowl and set the dough in it, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk.
• (In the traditional warm place, this will take about 2 hours.
• However, a cooler temperature will do as long as the dough has enough time to rise, including overnight in the refrigerator.)
• If the dough is ready sooner than it is needed, punch it down and refrigerate it or let it rise slowly again at room temperature until ready to use.
• Rub 2 to 3 tablespoons flour into a lintless dish towel and set the towel on a baking sheet.
• When the dough has completed its rising, punch it down, turn it out onto a floured work surface, and flatten it into an oblong about 8 inches wide, 10 inches long, and 1/4 inch thick.
• It will still be very soft, but try to use a minimum of additional flour in handling it.
• Roll the dough tight, jelly-roll fashion, into a cylindrical shape.
• Flatten this to about 1-inch thick and roll it again.
• (This activates the web of gluten that will keep the loaf from flattening out in the oven.)
• FOR A ROUND LOAF, tuck both ends of the cylinder under to meet in the center, pinching to seal them.
• Roll the dough around the work surface under your hands, to shape it into a smooth ball about 5 inches in diameter.
• FOR AN OBLONG LOAF, roll the dough under your hands into a fat cigar shape, extending it to about 10 inches in length.
• Set the loaf on the floured towel and fold the ends of the towel loosely around it.
• Put the covered loaf, on its baking sheet, in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
• Preheat an oven lined with baking tiles to 400F (200C).
• Have a water-filled sprayer handy.
• Slide your hand under the towel, pick up the loaf, and gently deposit it upside down on the tiles.
• Spray water into the oven before closing the door, and spray twice more at 2-minute intervals.
• Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown.
• The bread should have a hollow sound when you knock on its bottom.