Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Da - Peter Reinhart

Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and immediately refrigerate overnight or for up to 4 days.

(If you plan to bake the dough in batches over di erent days, you can portion the dough and place it into two or more oiled bowls at this stage.) The dough should double in size in the refrigerator. If you want to bake the bread the same day you mix the dough, don’t refrigerate the nal dough; just let it rest at room temperature for about 60 to 90 minutes, until it doubles in size. Then proceed to shaping and baking, as described below.

ON BAKING DAY Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 2 hours before you plan to bake. Transfer the dough to a lightly oured work surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces, each weighing about 2 pounds (907 g).

Dust each piece with our, then use your hands to gently press them into rectangles 8 inches wide and 12 inches deep. Spread half of the cheese over the surface of one rectangle and roll the dough up like a rug, from the bottom to the top, to form a log. If any cheese falls out, tuck it back in or save it for the second loaf. Seal the seam with your ngertips. Shape the log into a bâtard or extend it into a baguette-style loaf by gently rocking the loaf back and forth. Place the loaves on parchment-lined sheet pans, mist with spray oil, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 90 minutes to 2 hours, until the loaves begin to noticeably swell in size.

About 45 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C) and prepare it for hearth baking. About 15 minutes before baking, uncover the loaves and score them with a sharp serrated knife or razor blade, making 2 or 3 diagonal cuts about ½ inch deep.

Transfer the dough to the oven, pour 1 cup of hot water into the steam pan, and lower the oven temperature to 425°F (218°C).

Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pans and bake for another 15 to 25 minutes, until the loaves are a deep golden brown and have an internal temperature above 195°F (91°C) in the center.

Remove from the pans and cool on a wire rack for about 1 hour