Peter Reinhart
This bread is a cold fermentation bread. It is especially important to handle it with a firm but light touch. Too much pressure will squeeze out the gas trapped during the overnight rise, resulting in small, even holes rather than the prized large, irregular holes.
5 1/3 cups flour
2 tsp. salt, or 1 T. course kosher salt
2-¼ tsp. yeast
2 tsp. sugar
2 cups lukewarm water
Combine the water, yeast and sugar in a large mixing bowl and let sit for 15 minutes. Add salt and flour, 1 cup at a time until dough forms a course shaggy ball. Let rest uncovered for 5 minutes.
Knead by hand for about 2 minutes adjusting with flour or water as needed. The dough should be smooth, supple, and tacky but not sticky.
Knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured work surface for about 1 minute more, then transfer to a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then immediately refrigerate overnight or for up to 4 days.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 2 hours before you plan to bake. Gently transfer it to a lightly floured work surface, taking care to degas it as little as possible. Form the dough into whatever shape you want, bowls or loaves.
I put pieces of parchment paper into a bowl or bowls the size I want my loaves to be. Cover and proof at room temperature for about 1-½ hours, until 1 ½ times its original size.
About 45 minutes before baking, place a baking stone in oven and heat to 550 degrees.
Just prior to baking, score the dough 1/2 “ deep with serrated knife or razor. Lift the parchment from bowls onto a pizza peel and transfer to hot oven. Spray inside of oven with water and immediately lower the oven temperature to 450 degrees
Bake for 12 minutes then rotate front to back and continue baking until the internal temperature is about 200 on an instant read thermometer.
Cool the bread on a wire rack for 45 minutes before slicing and serving
