Rose's Hearth Bread

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 3 1/3 cups bread flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons yeast
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon honey

Recipe

• 1 in a medium bowl, stir together flours, salt and yeast. stir in water and honey. knead dough until smooth and springy, but still slightly sticky. add a little flour or water as necessary.
• 2 lightly brush oil inside of large bowl. place dough in bowl, turning to oil all sides. cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• 3 line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper or lightly sprinkle with cornmeal. gently push fist into dough to deflate. shape dough into a round ball. place on cookie sheet, cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place about 45 minutes.
• 4 place baking stone on lowest oven rack and heat oven to 475°f carefully cut an x-shaped slash on top of dough; spray with cool water. place cookie sheet in oven on baking stone; place one cup water in a shallow pan on the other rack.
• 5 bake 10 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 425°f bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until bread is golden brown and skewer inserted in center comes out clean. cool completely on a cooling rack.
• 6 note: stir-ins can include: 1/4 cup of 1 or 2 of the following--kalamata olives, roasted garlic cloves, cut-up sun-dried tomatoes, slice chives, shelled sunflower seeds, 1 teaspoon fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs such as rosemary or thyme.