Our grandparents may still have used a wood-fired oven outside, or taken the weekly bread to the bakery, where the oven temperatures and humidity are just right for building a crispy crust and hollow crumb. Our modern ovens are great for casseroles but they don't bake bread very well. Interest in artisan baking has improved bread recipes and outcomes in the last 35 years, from adding a baking stone to creating a moist environment in the oven to allow for a good oven spring. For the bread shown, the following ingredients were used:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 5 cups white bread flour (King Arthur)
- 1 cup whole wheat bread flour (King Arthur)
- 1 teaspoon malted barley flour
- 3 cups ice cold tap water
