Getting Ready...Almost There

The bread recipe presented on this site is very elastic and very forgiving. Nothing has to be done exactly. Some people follow recipes to the letter and do not deviate from the written instructions. That's fine for them. I can't do things that way. I always add a little of this and take away a little of that. The instructions given on this website will try to accommodate those who need exact instructions without abandoning those who appreciate spontaneity in the kitchen. If you absolutely, totally cannot live with my style of ad libing, add your comments and I'll see what I can do to satisfy you somewhere in the middle.

Here's what you will need:

You will need an oven, a heavy Dutch oven, the bread ingredients, a bowl for overnight yeast rising, a large plastic bag or lids that fit your bowl exactly, large spoons and/or scrapers, a cloth towel, potholders.

Oven: every oven has its own personality. Some thermostats are exact. Some aren't. Keep trying different things until it goes right.

Dutch Oven: I've never tried this recipe with a thin-walled Dutch oven. I use one of those old-fashioned cast iron ovens that weigh a ton. It works just fine. If you have a more modern Dutch oven--such as a La Creuset--use it. I don't know for sure, but it seems to me the heavier the better.

Bowl: I mix the ingredients and let them sit overnight in a stainless steel bowl. My guess is that most other materials will work too--as long as the surface is slick. The bowl has to be larger than the ingredients because you will do mixing in the bowl and you don't want stuff to fall out.

Plastic Bag or Pot Lid: The flour, yeast, salt and water combination will sit in the bowl for many hours. You will need either a plastic bag or a pot lid. If you use plastic, make sure it's big enough to hold the bowl containing the flour. I've used the same plastic bag many times; perhaps it picks up good vibes after many uses. A relatively tight-fitting pot lid is also acceptable. Either choice will keep the fermentation limited to the space inside the bowl without exposing the mixture to too much ambient air.

Spoons and Scrapers: I never touch any of the ingredients with my fingers (unlike the videos I learned from). I use spoons or scrapers to touch everything. I start with spoons for the initial mixing. Scrapers do the most efficient job of 'massaging' the dough in the second step to be described in the Recipe entry.

Cloth: use a flat linen towel, not a fluffy teri-cloth towel.

Potholders: things can get very, very hot, so use thick protection. Make the protection long enough to cover your wrists.