Orange and Rosemary Artisan Loaves
also called
Normandy Bread
Sponge:1 cup starter
½ cup water
1 cup flour
Covered tightly with plastic wrap, left overnight.
Bread:
Add to the sponge:
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon yeast
Appx. ¾ cup water (this will be adjustable due to flour dryness, and humidity of house)
Set aside about 4 tablespoons Fresh Rosemary leaves (stripped from stem of plant) and 2 tablespoons Orange zest, if you have a good culinary Orange Oil, add 1/2 teaspoon of this also. These will be added after dough rise.
Beat together the water, flour, sponge, yeast for 5 minutes. Add the salt and and knead until a nice and smooth, elastic quality. Allow to rise in an oiled and covered bowl until doubled in size.
Dump our onto floured surface.
Add the Rosemary leaves and the Orange Zest and culinary Orange oil if you have it.
You will need to keep flour handy for your hands to assist with handling this moist dough.
Knead well to incorporate these ingredients into the dough.
Divide into 2 or 4 lumps of dough. I shape them a little bit.
Cover with a lightly floured towel and over this cover with plastic and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Remove plastic and shape into baguettes or boules. Place onto baking sheet covered with baking parchment paper and has been sprinkled with cornmeal. I use a favorite baguette pan a friend gave me years ago.
I sometimes slash the loaves before rising, it's easier.
Cover entire sheet and bread with plastic and allow to rise until about doubled. Slash surface of each loaf 3 or 4 times with razor or sharp knife, dip each time in flour before slashing so it will go through the moist dough easily.
Place pan in very hot oven, 400 to 450 degrees. Spray water mist from mister bottle over loaves in oven 3 times in the first 10 minutes of baking. This allows the loaves to rise to their fullest. Then allow to finish baking without opening the door again for about 30 minutes more. Done when golden brown.
