Recipe from Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois
Adapted by Harold McGee
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- 4(34)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Featured in: Better Bread With Less Kneading
or to save this recipe.
Print Options
Advertisem*nt
Ingredients
Yield:Four 1-pound loaves
- 1pound 9 ounces (about 5½ cups) whole wheat flour
- 10ounces (about 2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour, more for dusting
- 1½tablespoons (2 packets) granulated yeast
- 1tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 4/10ounces (about ¼ cup) vital wheat gluten
- Cornmeal, as needed
- Seeds for sprinkling on bread, optional
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
In bowl of a 14-cup food processor with dough attachment, or heavy-duty stand mixer with paddle, combine whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt and wheat gluten. Add 4 cups lukewarm (100 degrees) water and mix just until well blended, about 2 minutes; dough will be very wet and loose.
Step
2
Transfer dough to a container with a slightly vented lid, or a bowl covered loosely with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse, about 2 hours; longer rising times (even overnight) will not harm dough. After rising, cover securely and refrigerate, and use dough over the next 14 days. Do not punch down or knead dough at any time.
Step
3
To bake: Prepare a baking peel by sprinkling liberally with cornmeal, or line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Tear off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) mass of dough, and dust very lightly with flour. Quickly shape into a ball, stretching surface so that it is smooth. Stretch ball gently to elongate it, and place on baking peel. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 90 minutes for refrigerated dough, or 40 minutes for fresh unrefrigerated dough.
Step
4
Thirty minutes before baking, heat oven to 450 degrees with a baking stone placed on middle rack, and an empty broiler tray on a lower rack or bottom of oven. Just before baking, use a pastry brush to paint top of loaf with water. Sprinkle with seeds if desired. Slide loaf onto pizza peel or place on baking pan and put in oven. Quickly pour 1 cup hot water into broiler tray in oven, and close door. Bake until richly browned and firm to touch, about 30 minutes; adjust baking times as needed for larger or smaller loaves. For best texture, allow bread to cool before serving.
Tip
- Prepared dough may be stored for up to one week in the refrigerator.
Ratings
4
out of 5
Your rating
or to rate this recipe.
Have you cooked this?
or to mark this recipe as cooked.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
mare
I think you used the same search perimeter I did, unfortunately, and free (as in free form) is the title and gluten is an ingredient so it said hey gluten and free must include in gluten-free searches! Oh well.
SH in SF
710 grams WW flour285 grams AP flour15 grams yeast15 grams salt40 grams wheat gluten960 milliliters water
Sarah
Really like this bread. I recommend refrigerating for at least 24 hrs. after the initial rise as the bread made after that time was nicer in texture and flavor. I even shaped some of it, one chunk into the form of pain d'epi (it was a little flat but no loss in flavor), and the others into small boule shapes. Used different toppings (oatmeal; corn meal; flour) and used a lame for some design. The boules rose beautifully!
Dawn M
VERY wet dough, on first rise overflowed the bowl. I tried pulling off a "grapefruit sized" blob for first loaf (attempted to rise the rest of it in the refrigerator, as someone suggested) and it was impossible to shape and barely rose, although I did put a tray of ice cubes in with it while it baked (per another recipe). It's tasty but very flat, texture is OK if toasted. Baked 2 of the other loaves after 24 hrs fridge, neither of them rose either (I let them warm up 1st). Won't try again.
SH in SF
What is "1 4/10 ounces"? One ounce + four-tenths of an ounce? And if so, who has a scale that can measure that accurately?
SH in SF
710 grams WW flour285 grams AP flour15 grams yeast15 grams salt40 grams wheat gluten960 milliliters water
Sarah
Really like this bread. I recommend refrigerating for at least 24 hrs. after the initial rise as the bread made after that time was nicer in texture and flavor. I even shaped some of it, one chunk into the form of pain d'epi (it was a little flat but no loss in flavor), and the others into small boule shapes. Used different toppings (oatmeal; corn meal; flour) and used a lame for some design. The boules rose beautifully!
johanna
I followed the recipe and I didn’t like the first loaf. Ir was very tough, chewy and dry.I made adjustments for the remaining dough: I placed the dough in a bread pan, let it rise for 90 minutes, baked at 350 degrees for 45 minutes and tented the pan after 20 minutes.I liked the results. The bread was dense and moist, and it made great toast.
johanna
I followed the directions, and the first loaf was not good. It was dry and chewy. I had to discard it.For the next loaf I used a bread pan, and reduced the oven temperature to 350. Baking time 45 minutes. After the first 20 minutes I covered the pan with aluminum foil. The bread has a nice nutty taste and The texture is dense and moist.
Alison Downing
This is clearly NOT gluten free; I am sure it is delicious but would make me sick for a week.
mare
I think you used the same search perimeter I did, unfortunately, and free (as in free form) is the title and gluten is an ingredient so it said hey gluten and free must include in gluten-free searches! Oh well.
Private notes are only visible to you.
