Then, around lunch
time, dig your fingers in the mix and mush it all up together. You may
need some flour along the sides of the bowl and on your hands to prevent
sticking, and possibly a sprinkle more flour on your dough to keep it from
being to soft and sticky. Mash it all together until it becomes a rather
smooth dough. Cover again and let the mix sit another couple of hours.
Some time
mid-afternoon, mash it up again, just lightly knead it for no more than a
minute. Now you’re ready to shape the loaf and give it a final rising. On
a lightly floured surface, press it down with your finger tips until it is
a rectangle about 8” x 10”. Fold in the corners, from the upper outside
edges into the center, and pinch it into an oval loaf.
Place the loaf, seam
side down, on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. (As mentioned
above, I always double pan everything I bake up here – so use two baking
sheets to prevent the bottom from burning.) Cover loosely with
plastic, and let it sit until doubled in bulk, maybe another hour or so.
When you’re ready to
bake it (be sure your oven is hot – preheat it to 400 degrees), use a good
sharp knife to score the top with a few diagonal lines, then pour ¼ cup of
water over the top. This makes the crust extra crispy. Bake for 10
minutes in a well pre-heated, hot oven (400 degrees). Then turn the oven
down to 325 degrees, and bake for another 30 minutes. The outside will be
nice and golden brown, and if you tap on the “shell” it will sound hollow
inside. Don’t worry, it will be done! Take it out of the oven and let it
cool a little on a wire rack before slicing or ripping open – if you can
wait! Smear with butter, and enjoy. You can store in an open plastic or
paper bag on the counter for a couple days. Don’t close the bag up or the
bread will not remain crispy on the outside. If you want to make the
bread in advance, you can wrap it up tightly in plastic and keep it in the
freezer.
