Recipe by: The Washington Post - October 1996
Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise at
room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, at which point the dough will have
risen noticeably, although it may not have doubled.
While the bread is proofing, place a rack in the lowest position in
the oven and fit it with a baking stone or quarry tiles, leaving a gap of
at least 1 inch all around. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a linen
towel on a baking sheet, rub the towel with flour, and set aside; this will
be the resting place for the breads' final rise. Rub a baker's peel or
baking sheet with cornmeal or flour. Fill a spray bottle with water; set
aside.
Turn the bread out onto a lightly floured surface and, using a dough
scraper, cut the dough in half. To shape each half into a torpedo shape,
first shape it into a ball and then flatten it into a disk. Starting at the
end farthest from you, roll up the dough toward you. When you're on your
last roll, stop and pull the free end of dough toward you, stretching it
gently, and dust its edge with flour. Finish the roll and, if necessary,
rock the loaf back and forth a little to taper the ends and form a torpedo,
or football.
Place the loaves on the floured towel, seam-side down, and cover them
with the ends of the towel (or another towel). Let the breads rise at room
temperature for 20 minutes.
When you're ready to bake, spray the walls of the preheated oven with
water and immediately close the oven door to trap the steam. Turn the
breads out, seam-side up, onto the peel or baking sheet and transfer them
to the oven. Spray the oven with water again and bake the loaves for 45 to
50 minutes, or until the crust is very brown, the loaves sound hollow when
thumped on the bottom and, the most important test, the interior
temperature measures 200 degrees when an instant-read thermometer is
plunged into the center of the loaves. Remove the loaves from the oven and
cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing. While you should
wait for the bread to firm up in the cooling process, slathering this bread
with butter while it's still warm is a great treat.
Store at room temperature. Once sliced, the bread should be turned
cut-side down on a cutting board; it will keep at room temperature for
about 2 days. For longer storage, wrap airtight and freeze for up to a
month. Thaw, still wrapped, at room temperature. 2 Loaves, about 24 slices.
This recipe from Leslie Mackie can be found in "Baking With Julia" by Dorie
Greenspan (Morrow, $40).
