Artisan bread

Here is the basic recipe as adapted by me, the Artisan Bread book has a ton more stuff in it, you should go buy it.

3 cups warm water

1 1/2 tablespoons yeast

1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt

6 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour

In a large plastic food container with a lid, add together the water, yeast and salt

mix this up, then add in the flour, mix together.

all the flour needs to be wet, but no over-mixed

place this container in a warm area and let it rise for 2 hours,

then you can use some of the dough,

or better yet,

put the container in the refrigerator overnight, the dough will have a better flavor.

pull off a hunk of the dough, shape it into a ball, let it rise on parchment paper in a bowl for 40 minutes,

preheat the oven with the dutch oven and lid in the oven at 450F

when you are ready to put the dough in the dutch oven, use a razor blade to slice a few lines through the top of the ball of dough

take out the dutch oven, place the parchement paper with the dough in the dutch oven.

put in oven for 30 minutes,

then remove lid of dutch oven, and bake for about 20 minutes more.

bread should have a hollow sound when thumped when it is done.