- 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
- ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.
This method is unique in many ways. First off, he uses a small amount of yeast: only 1/4 teaspoon compared to over 1 teaspoon for a regular loaf. Second, there is no kneading involved. Third, he lets the dough sit for 12 to 18 hours. Fourth, he bakes the bread in a pot inside a 450F oven.
I gave it a try, with one simple twist. I divided the dough in two: 1 loaf was doped with a tablespoon of sour spelt mix (used in making injera bread), while the other remained unmodified.
In the end, both loafs were SUPER crunchy, and bubbly on the inside. The 'doped' loaf had a hint more character, but was otherwise no different from the control. I wrapped up the regular loaf and took it to work for everybody to try. They loved it, and gobbled it up before I had changed into my chef's coat. It would go really well with soup.