Rustic Bread Recipe 2nd part

Program the machine for manual or dough, and press start. As the dough begins to mix it should form first a soft mass, then eventually a soft ball that is not too stiff, but not sticky, either. Adjust with additional flour or water as necessary. (If the dough isn’t coming together, stop the machine, and stir the dough with a rubber spatula to help the sponge and added ingredients combine. Re-program the machine for Dough and start it again.

When the cycle is complete, remove the dough from the machine. Cover with a tea towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

After the rest period, deflate the dough gently and form into a round ball. Place the ball seam-side down, on a cornmeal-dusted baking sheet. Cover it lightly with a tea towel. Let it rise a second time until it’s puffy and about 30% to 40% larger, about 1 hour. Don’t let it rise too much, since it rises some more in the oven and if it’s over proofed initially, it’ll collapse as it bakes.

Preheat the oven to 475° F. Make several ¼- to ½-inch slashes or crosshatches in the loaf. If your dough deflates at this point, it means it rose too much. But even if it does topple a bit or deflate, generally the heat of the oven will help spring it back.

Using a clean plant mister, spritz the loaf with water. Spray some water into the oven, and place the bread on the lowest rack.

Spritz the oven walls every few minutes for the first 15 minutes of baking. Lower the heart to 425° F and continue to bake until well-browned, about 35 minutes. The interior temperature of the bread should register 190° F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a wire rack before slicing. Store, “cut side down, on a counter (do not cover).