This recipe is derived from Jim Lahey’s My Bread cookbook which I highly recommend to anyone who wants to make delicious and simple breads. The primary requirement for making this rustic round “boule” loaf is patience. The trick is to let the bread rise in a warm dry corner for 18-24 hours.

Makes: One 10-inch round loaf

Ready

• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 ¼ tsp table salt
• ¼ tsp yeast (instant or dry active)
• Water (cold)
• Additional flour for dusting

Set

• Medium bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Plastic wrap or cover for bowl
• Spatula
• Cotton or linen dish towel
• 4 ½ to 5 ½ quart heavy pot
• Heat proof spatual

Go

1. Stir together flour, salt and yeast in bowl.
2. Add cold water. Ideally water is between 50°F and 75°F but the coldest setting from your tap should be sufficient.
3. Mix with spoon for about 30 seconds. You should have a wet sticky dough.
4. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 18 hours. Make sure that it is a warm dry place that is not in direct sunlight.
5. When the fermentation is complete, cover a stone, wood or plastic cutting board with a generous coating of flour.
6. Using a spatula scrape the dough onto the board. Using either your hands or the spatula nudge and tuck the edges of the dough to make it round.
7. Dust the towel with a healthy coating of flour.
8. Gently place dough into the towel, dust the top and fold the edges of the towel over to cover the dough.
9. Let rise for an additional 2 hours.
10. After 1 ½ hours place pot in oven and pre-heat to 475°F.
11. When the rise is complete unfold the towel, lightly dust the dough with flour, remove the hot pot from the oven and carefully invert the towel so that the dough falls into the hot pot.
12. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
13. Remove lid and bake until the crust is deep chestnut color (aprox 15 to 30 minutes)
14. Remove pot from oven and remove loaf from pot with a heat proof spatula or spoon.
15. Let cool before cutting.