Red Wheat Bread

Photo: Max Germano

Ingredients

1/2 cup prepared biga

1 red wheat flour

3 cups bread flower

1/4 teaspoon yeasat

1 1/2 teaspoons tbl salt

1 1/2 cups very warm water

Preparation

First mix the read wheat flower, 2 cups of the bread flower, yeast, and water together in a mixting bowl until it comes together into a rough dough, with a dough hook on setting 4. Cover bowl with platic wrap and let sit for 20 minutes. Turn the kitchen aid back on to setting 4 and then add the biga in small pieces and add the salt. Increase mixing spead to 6 and let knead for about 8 minutes. The dough will be sticky.

Toss onto a cutting board, don't flour it unless it sticks badly, and if you want to flour only use a little at a time. Try to use a dough scraper to lift the dough instead of using more flour. Form into a ball and put in an oiled bowl or tupper wear. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and let rise for an hour. After an hour it will have only risen a little but put it out onto a very lightly floured board and gently push into a rectangle.

Fold it over onto itself using 'hot dog' folds, and then fold the dough over itself into thirds again using 'hamburger' folds and put back into the container to double in size. Once it has doubled prepare a baking pan lined with lightly floured parchment paper. Push it into a rectangle and then fold it over hot dog, and then bring the edges in. Gently pinch the dough together so there are no cracks it should be fairly sticky and stick together well, and then turn over. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.

One hour before ready to bake preheat your oven with your baking stone to 475 and a pan.

When it has doubled slash it about 1/2 inch deep down one side or both sides with a sharp knife.

Spray the bread with water from a spray bottle.

Open the oven and put the baking pan right ontop of the baking stone.

Add 6 peices of ice to the other pan and then spray the inside of the oven with the spray bottle just to make the most amount of steam possible. Steam makes the crust crispy.

Bake on 475 for 5 minutes, then reduce the temp to 450 and cook for ten. After 10 minutes slide the bread and the parchment paper off of the baking pan and straight onto the baking stone and do not forget to rotate it at this point. Cook for another 15 minutes. Throughout this process, about every 6 or 7 minutes quickly open the oven and spray water onto the bread and sides of the oven.

Once the crust is golden brown remove and let cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours or the bread will collapse on you if you cut it.