Full Belly Boule

You want savory entrees, you got it, but ask me to bake...yikes! I've made cakes and quick bread before - my fav is Guiness cupcakes with Bailey's frosting on St. Patty's day (stay tuned!). I've never baked bread in my life up until recently. Something about the yeast and the whole process just seemed too overwhelming and time consuming, but man, I was missing out big time!


After lots of research and me finally throwing caution to the wind, here's my take on a rustic boule (it'll take a couple days but it's definitely worth the time and effort!):

Day 1
Sponge Ingredients:
1 cup of warm water
1/2 teaspoon of rapid rise yeast
1 1/2 cups of bread flour


Mix the warm water and yeast in a liquid measuring cup, then combine with the bread flour in a large bowl. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter at room temperature until the sponge has fallen (about 6 hours - but it can sit up to 24 hours before getting funky).


Making the sponge is an important part of the process, allowing for the yeast to work it's magic and help you turn out a chewy, yummy, rustic loaf.


Day 2
Dough Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups of warm water
2 tablespoons of Agave nectar
1 teaspoon of rapid rise yeast
3 1/2 cups of bread flour
2 teaspoons of salt
Vegetable Oil spray


Mix the warm water, nectar and yeast in a liquid measuring cup. Combine the bread flour and salt then slowly add the water mixture. Here's where a stand mixer would come in handy, but I don't have one so...I use a hand mixer with a dough hook attachment.


Mix for a couple minutes or until the dough starts to come together. At that point, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 20 minutes. All this waiting will be worth it, I promise!


Remove the plastic wrap and add in the sponge from day 1. Use the mixer and knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until it's smooth and stretchy. Once you've reached that point, place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand and shape into a round ball. Spray a bowl with vegetable oil spray, place dough in and cover with plastic wrap. Now for more waiting...let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours or until it has doubled in size.


On to the the last rise, finally! Lay down a sizable sheet of parchment paper on the counter. On a clean, lightly floured section of counter, press your dough out into a square and dimple it with your knuckles. Then fold it in thirds, like a letter, and slowly form into a tight ball being careful not to tear the dough. place the dough onto the parchment paper and loosely cover with greased plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise one final time for another 1 1/2 hours.


Now to prep the baking stone - necessary for a nice crispy crust. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees with the stone on the lowest rack. Cut an "X" in the top of your dough ball to allow it to breathe, avoiding blowouts while baking. Once the oven is up to temperature, remove the stone and carefully place the dough, parchment paper and all, onto the stone and place in the oven. Reduce the temperature to 425 degrees and bake for 35-40 minutes.


Once you remove it from the oven, place your boule on a wire rack to cool for about 2 hours or until it's room temperature. 


And there you have it! A great rustic bread that is great with soup, salad, as grilled cheese, French toast, or just a vehicle to sop up extra gravy. Enjoy!

- "Jess" A Pinch