Basic Italian Bread

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The addition of herbs or sun-dried tomatoes easily transforms this basic italian bread into an extra tasty treat. Prep time includes the time to make the starter and 2 rises.

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Steps

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Biga: mix the yeast and water together , and then slowly start adding the flour , mixing well.

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Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for up to 6 hours , or refrigerate overnight.

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Bread: place the water in a large bowl , sprinkle the yeast over top and mix well.

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Let sit 10 minutes until bubbly.

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Add the biga , flour , and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until everything is mixed.

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The dough will be fairly wet and sticky at this point.

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Cover and let stand in a warm spot for about 1 to 1 1 / 2 hours until doubled in volume.

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Punch down the dough , folding it over on itself two or three times , cover and let rise once more until doubled , about 1 hour.

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To bake the following day , refrigerate the dough at this time and leave it overnight.

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Turn out your dough onto a floured baking sheet , and without overworking it too much , shape into one large or two smaller round or oval shaped loaves , using as much extra flour as needed to keep it from sticking.

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Slash acros.

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Ingredients

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active dry yeast, water, unbleached all-purpose flour, salt