In a large mixing bowl add all purpose flour, salt, active instant dry yeast.
Add luke warm water and mix it with a wooden spatula/spoon. There should be no lumps and the dough should come together. Scrap the edges of the bowl if required.
Cover the bowl with shower cap – it works better than cling film as it could be loosened up on top. But if you use large enough bowl, cling wrap should be fine too.
Leave this dough on the kitchen counter for about 2 hours until the dough has risen to double its original volume.
Put this bowl of dough in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours and up to a maximum of 7 days. The longer it stays, the better the flavor of the dough.
Before baking the bread, take the dough out of fridge. Sprinkle some flour on top to make it easier to grab it out.
This recipe makes two medium sized loaves. To make a loaf, take half of the dough and place it on kitchen counter sprinkled with flour.
Gently shape it into a circle by folding multiple times. It gets sticky, so it helps to use some flour. It doesn’t have to be a perfect circle.
If you have Banneton basket, dust it with enough rice flour (yes, it helps making the dough nonsticky) and place the shaped dough for proofing. I didn’t use the cotton cloth that came with the basket to get nice pattern on my bread. You can also place the shaped dough on parchment paper.
Sprinkle some flour on top. Let it come to room temperature and then rise double the volume. During colder months, I use my oven the generate the required warmth.
Meanwhile, prepare the cast iron dutch oven or get two equal sized pans. While the oven is preheating at 220°C, set these pans for heating up as well. Place the water cups at the bottom of the oven.
When the dough is ready to be baked, carefully transfer it to the hot pan.
Sprinkle some flour on top if required and stash the bread using sharp knife or blade.
Bake covered (with another cast iron pan or dutch oven lid) for 20-25 mins at 220°C and then remove the lid. Bake for another 20 mins until the bread is golden.
Let the bread cool down completely. It would be better to wait for a few hours before slicing it.
This bread stores well at room temperature – stock it in an airlock container or zip-lock bag. You can make open veggie toasts, sandwiches or garlic bread. Apply olive oil on both sides and top off with veggies/garlic, chilli flakes and grated cheese. Toast until cheese is melty.