Re: The secret to great bread
We are now going to do something called a "French fold". This helps greatly in developing dough strength.
Take the dough and stretch it out in one direction only (both left and right)
Fold dough into thirds, cover and rest 20 minutes
Repeat as above, 2 more times (for a total of 3 French folds)
Lightly oil a medium sized bowl.
Put dough into bowl, cover and allow to BULK FERMENT UNTIL DOUBLED. This depends upon kitchen temp aprox 2 hours.
When doubled, turn out onto a lightly floured counter and lightly de-gas with your fingers.
Now begin to shape into a loaf
Stretch out to aprox 14 inches (35 cm.)
working from the long side, fold dough up and over. Pinch the seam very well. Using your hands roll the dough back and forth (but NOT stretching it out) until you have a nice shaped loaf.
Assuming you have a baked clay bread baker, about 14 inch long rectangle with a baked clay cover.
Lift dough and put into a baked clay bread baker. (seam side down). Cover with bread baker top. Let rest on counter for aprox 1 1/2 hours OR until it has ALMOST doubled. After 1/2 hour start to pre-heat oven to 450 F (232 C.)
When dough/loaf has doubled, take your lame (or a new razor blade and MOVING VERY QUICKLY, make a slash down the center of loaf to about 3/4 inch deep (about 2 cm.) This is optional but it will allow your bread to rise to max height.
Re-cover the dough/loaf with baked clay top. Bake for 25 minutes. Use a oven mitt and remove the baker top. Continue baking for 14 minutes more (with top off).
Turn off oven. Very carefully(its supper hot) use a spatula to remove loaf from clay baker and put loaf on an oven rack with the oven door wide open and allow to cool to room temp (even though oven is turned off and door open the bread is STILL baking. ).
If you do not have a clay baker you can use 2 or more small bread pans.