by Rachel Wexler
First, make the more complex ingredient, the poolish, ahead of time:
Poolish
Ingredients:
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons room-temperature water
3/4 teaspoon crumbled cake yeast (or red star dry yeast works just as well)
2 cups organic white flour with retained germ (I used white flour)
Method:
In a 1-gallon plastic container, combine the water and yeast and stir until the mixture is milky and foamy and the yeast is fairly dissolved. Stir in the flour until just combined. Cover and leave at room temperature for 5 hours. May be refrigerated for up to 48 hours before using. Bring to room temperature before using.
Yield: About 1 1/2 cups.
Rustica Bread
Ingredients:
1 cup plus 6 tablespoons water just slightly warmer than room temperature
3/4 cup poolish
3/4 teaspoon cake yeast (or normal dry yeast!)
3 cups minus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons raw wheat germ
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Method:
1. Place the water in a large mixing bowl. Break the poolish into small pieces with your hands or a wooden spoon and add it to the bowl along with the yeast. Stir until fairly dissolved. Stir in the flour, wheat germ and salt and stir until combined. Continue stirring for 5 minutes. Cover the bowl and let sit for 20 minutes.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently fold the dough in half lengthwise and then fold it in half again crosswise. Return the dough to the bowl with its smooth side up. Repeat the folding process 2 more times over the next 40 minutes. After the last turning, let the dough rest for 20 to 30 more minutes.
3. Gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Loosely form it into a square on the table, taking care not to deflate it. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into 4 equal squares. Gently move the pieces to a sheet pan lined with a well-floured heavy tea towel, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. (Or just put it on the pan you will bake it on and leave it covered to rise) Let rest until the dough just holds the imprint of your finger when you press it gently, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and have a plant sprayer full of fresh water ready. Very gently transfer the dough pieces to 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper, putting the side of the dough that came in contact with the floured tea towel up and leaving plenty of space between the pieces. (Omit this step if baking on the sheet they rose on) When the oven is hot, spray it thoroughly with water and immediately put the bread in and close the door. Spray the oven (not the bread) again 3 more times during the first 5 minutes of baking. (Or preheat the oven with a pan in the bottom and fill the pan with ice when you put the loaves in). Bake until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow in the center when tapped, 15 to 20 minutes more.
5. Remove the loaves from the oven and cool them on a wire rack.
Yield: 4 small loaves.