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 Hosted By
Sally & Steve |
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1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast |
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5 ounces (approximately 1 1/8 cups) bread flour, plus more for dusting |
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1 teaspoon active dry yeast |
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14 ounces (approximately 3 cups) bread flour |
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2 ounces (1/2 cup) whole wheat flour |
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Fine cracker crumbs, coarse cornmeal, or white poppy seeds for rolling out the dough |
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Flour, a pinch of sugar, and water for glazing the dough |
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1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of nigella seeds or a handful of sesame seeds to sprinkle on top |
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In a deep, thick Ziploc bag, dissolve the
yeast in a few tablespoons of the warm water.
Add the remaining water, then gradually
blend in the flour. Once the starter comes together,
dust your hands with flour and gently
knead to form a smooth, soft ball. Close the
bag without sealing and leave at room temperature
until airy, light, and bubbly, about 8
hours or overnight. Stir down the dough and
use at once or press out air, seal, and refrigerate
until ready to use, within one week. Or
freeze the dough; return to room temperature,
about 4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place a
heavybaking stone or tiles or baking sheet on
oven rack. Lightly sprinkle a wooden pizza
paddle or an upside-down baking sheet with
cracker crumbs, cornmeal, or white poppy
seedsand set aside.
Punch down the balls of dough and flatten with the palm of the hand to form an oval
about 1-inch thick. To make it easier to coax into long ovals, lift one oval and drape it over
your floured hands-palms down and fingers bent loosely underneath; slightly stretch each
portion of the dough by carefully rotating your hands one after the other and coaxing the
dough from the center outward. If the oval snaps back to a smaller size, cover it with a sheet
of plastic and let it relax for 5 minutes. Wet the palms of your hands wirh water and tamp
each oval to stretch to the desired length-approximately 14 inches by 8 inches. Place the
first oval on the prepared paddle.
Combine the flour, a pinch of sugar, and enough water to make a rhick paste. Dip four
fingertips into the thick flour-water mixture and make deep lines down the length of the
bread at 1 -inch intervals. Lightly sprinkle with nigella seeds and/or sesame seeds and slide
the oval(s) onto the heated stone or tiles. Bake 8 to 12 minutes. Repeat wirh the second half
of the dough. Keep warm in a kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining portions of the
dough. Cool the bread on wire racks. Return to the oven for 5 minutes to crisp just before
serving.
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