AUTHENTIC  ITALIAN  RECIPES

 FROM

 RISTORANTE  d'ANNAMARIA

Common Bread - version 2

Ingredients for 1 loaf:

Bread Flour (avoid all purpose flour)                           2 pounds

Yeast                                                                          1 cube (1 ounce)

Salt                                                                             to taste

sugar                                                                          a pinch

Extra virgin olive oil                                                   as needed

Very warm water (not hot)                                          as needed

How to do it:

In a cup of very warm water, put the yeast, a pinch of sugar and a tablespoon of flour. Stir and mix until the yeast is completely dissolved.

Scrape the mixing spoon back into the cup.

Let the yeast mixture rest in a warm place for about 15 minutes.

Mix two or three tablespoons of salt with the remaining flour.

Work the yeast mixture and a small amount of olive oil (1 to 2 ounces) with the salted flour adding a little bit of very warm water at a time until you have a soft dough.

Knead vigorously for 10 minutes.

Let it rest covered in a warm place for two hours.

After two hours, knead it again very rapidly for a few minutes.

Place the dough on a greased baking sheet or pan with a little corn meal on the bottom of the sheet or pan.

Cover it and let it rest until it doubles in size.

Preheat your oven to 450º.

When the dough has doubled in size, place it in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350º

and bake for about another 25 minutes or until the outside of the loaf is a golden brown and crunchy. Tap it and it should sound hollow.