Rustic Country Loaf

After reading the posts in the Eastern European Forum and having my mouth water all day I went to the library. Being Polish I looked for any polish cookbooks I could find. There were not many on the shelf but found The New Polish Cuisine by Chef Michael J. Baruch. Now I can add even more recipes to my Polish cookbook here on zaar!! Thank you so much for creating the Eastern European Forum!!!

• Ready In: 3 hrs 5 mins
• Yields: 1 plump loaf

Ingredients

• 3  cups bread flour
• 1  cup whole wheat flour
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons sea salt
• 1  pinch sugar
• 1 1⁄3 cups water, warm about 120-130 degrees

Directions

1. Line one heavy sheet pan with parchment and dust with cornmeal.
2. Dissolve the yeast in 1/3 cup of warm (100-110 F) water and sugar. Allow to rise for 10 minutes.
3. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir with wooden spoon to combine. Make a well in the center and slowly add warm water, and yeast mixture. With a heavy wooden spoon, stir mixture until it forms a sticky dough that clings to spoon.
4. Using clean, floured hands remove dough from spoon and bowl and place on lightly floured work surface. With both hands knead dough until it is slightly smooth. If dough still remains sticky add a little flour and mix inches Form the dough into a ball and put it back in mixing bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel, let rise in warm place for about one hour or until dough doubles in size.
5. When dough has doubled in size, punch it down and return dough to bowl for an additional half hour to rise.
6. After the half hour remove the dough and punch it down again. Knead slightly and form back into a ball tucking ends underneath. Place dough on parchment lined sheet pan, cover with kitchen towel, let rise again for 30 to 40 minutes until almost doubled in size.
7. While dough is rising, preheat over to 425 degrees.
8. When dough has risen, lightly dust with flour and place dough on middle rack in hot oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until bread is a deep golden brown. Remove loaf and place on rack to cool.