Most shortcut breads taste like shortcut breads. This one doesn't. It has a good crust and a soft airy texture with just the right amount of toothsome chewiness. It is versatile - equally delicious warm from the oven, in sandwiches, toasted and grilled as bruschetta.
Apparently some New York City genius called Jim Lahey came up with the recipe. Journo Mark Bittman wrote about it in The New York Times in 2006 and a bread-making frenzy swept through the Big Apple: “The loaf is incredible, a fine-bakery quality, European-style boule that is produced more easily than by any other technique I’ve used, and it will blow your mind.”
It can be adapted by adding different grains and flavourings (olives, rosemary, seasalt, etc) and can also be used as a pizza base.
3c high grade flour
1.5c water
1 sachet or 1/4t instant yeast
1 1/4t salt
Mix ingredients in a bowl (I use a butter knife as the dough is quite wet and sticky). Cover with clingfilm (or a tea towel) and set aside for at least 12 hours.
Turn out of the bowl onto an oiled surface. Rub your hands in the oil too and then fold either side of the dough into the centre, rotate 90 degrees and repeat. Return to bowl and either leave for 2 hours or zap for 5 seconds in the microwave and set aside for 30 minutes and repeat.
Put a heavy pot with a lid into the oven and heat to 230C. Once oven has reached temp, sprinkle some flour or (my preference) coarsely ground semolina into the bottom, turn dough into pot, coat with more flour or semolina, put the lid on and bake for 25 minutes. Remove lid and bake for another 10 minutes. That's it!
