Pane Cassereccio Recipe Italian Country Bread

PANE CASERECCIO (HOMEMADE BREAD)

Steps:

• Mix the dry ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer, using the paddle. Then add the water in a drizzle until a very stick dough has formed. If the dough seems dry, then add a bit more, a spoonful at a time. Take the bowl from the mixer and cover it with a towel and/or a plate and leave it in a warm (but not hot) place over night. [NB: No worries if you don't have a standing mixer, you can just mix your dough in a normal bowl with a wooden spoon.]
• Scrape the dough out of the bowl with a spatula or wooden spoon onto a lightly floured surface. Flour your hands and form the mass of dough into a ball without kneading. Gingerly lay the dough on a lightly floured tea towel, then fold the ends of the towel on top of the dough. Let the bread rise again until it roughly doubles in size, which can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours.
• About 30 minutes before the second rise is over, preheat your oven to 450F/230C. Put a 4-1/2 or 5-1/2 quart cast iron casserole (about 10" in diameter) with its cover, in the oven to preheat along with the oven itself.
• NB: For the next step: Make sure you have heavy oven mitts (it'll be too hot for a towel) and proceed with care!
• Take the casserole out of the oven using your oven mitt and lay it on a heat-resistant surface. Remove the cover and lay it aside. Take the towel with the dough and quickly flip the dough into the casserole (it will go in 'upside down', which is fine). Shake the casserole, if need be, to center the dough and then quick re-cover it.
• Put the casserole back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Then take it out of the oven and remove the cover. (The bread will be ever so slightly browned.)
• Put the casserole back into the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the bread has developed a beautiful golden brown crust. Turn the bread out onto a cooling rack and leave it until it has completely cooled.
• When the bread has cooled completely, after about 45 minutes to an hour, it is ready to enjoy!

PANE CASERECCIO (HOMEMADE BREAD)

Steps:

• Mix dry ingredients in bowl of stand mixer, using the paddle.
• Add water in a drizzle until a very sticky dough has formed.
• If dough seems dry, than add a bit more, a spoonful at a time.
• Take bowl from mixer and cover with a towel and leave in a warm (but not hot) place over night.
• Scrape dough out of bowl with a spatula onto a lightly floured surface.
• Flour your hands and form the mass of dough into a ball without kneading.
• Gingerly lay the dough on a lightly floured tea towel, then fold ends of the towel on top of the dough.
• Let the bread rise again until doubles in size, which can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours.
• About 30 minutes before second rise is over, preheat oven to 400.
• Put a 4 12 or 5 1/2 quart cast iron casserole (about 10" in diameter) with its cover in oven to preheat along with the oven itself.
• For the next step: Make sure you have heavy oven mitts (it'll be tohot for a towel and proceed with care).
• Take casserole out of oven using oven mitt and lay on a heat resistant surface.
• Remove cover and lay aside.
• Take the towel with dough and quickly flip dough into casserole (it will go in "upside down" which is fine).
• Shake casserole, if need be to center dough and then quick re-cover it.
• Put casserole back in oven and bake for 30 minutes.
• Take out of oven and remove cover (the bread will be ever so slightly browned).
• Put casserole back in oven, uncovered and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until bread has developed a beautiful golden brown crust.
• Turn bread out onto a cooling rack and leave until it has completely cooled.
• When coolded completely, after about 45 minutes to an hour, it is ready to enjoy.