Best And Easiest Home-Baked Bread

Recipe Instructions For the starter, place warm water in a glass or stainless steel bowl and whisk in yeast. Stir in flour and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside to rise at room temperature until doubled and bubbly from 2 to 8 hours, depending on room temperature. For the sponge, place warm water in a glass or stainless steel bowl and whisk in yeast. Whisk in starter, stir in flour smoothly, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise until about triple in volume, about 4 to 8 hours (I like to do this late at night and allow it to rise all night). Stir sponge to deflate and stir in smaller amount of flour and salt. Knead dough by hand to form a smooth, elastic and slightly sticky dough, about 5 minutes, incorporating the remaining flour a tablespoon at a time if the dough is too soft. To mix the dough in the food processor, place sponge, smaller amount of flour and salt in work bowl fitted with metal blade. Pulse repeatedly until dough forms a ball (if dough will not form ball, add remaining flour a tablespoon at a time, and pulse until dough forms ball. Let dough rest 5 minutes, then let machine run continuously for 20 seconds. To mix dough in heavy-duty mixer, place sponge, smaller amount of flour and salt in bowl of mixer fitted with dough hook. Mix on low speed to form a smooth, elastic and slightly sticky dough, about 5 minutes, incorporating the remaining flour a tablespoon at a time if the dough is too soft. Oil a bowl and turn dough into it. Turn dough over so that top is oiled and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise until double. Line a round basket or 2-quart bowl with a napkin or tea towel and flour the cloth generously. Remove dough from bowl, press it to deflate, and shape it into a sphere by tucking bottom under and in toward center all the way around. Invert the dough into the cloth-lined basket or bowl so tucked-under edges are on top. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, about an hour. When the loaf is almost risen, preheat oven to 500 degrees and set a rack at the middle level. Place a heavy cookie sheet or jelly roll pan or a baking stone on the rack. Sprinkle the top of the loaf with cornmeal and invert it onto a piece of cardboard or a peel. Holding a razor blade at a 30-degree angle to the loaf, quickly slash a cross in the top. Slide the loaf off the peel onto the pan and lower oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake the loaf for about 45 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 210 degrees. Cool the loaf on a rack and do not cut it until it is completely cooled. Variations: PART WHOLE WHEAT BREAD: Make the starter with whole wheat flour and the sponge and dough with white flour. Or, if you make the starter with white flour, substitute 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups white flour in the sponge; and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1 to 1 1/4 cups white flour in the dough.