My Favorite Artisan Bread

I could go broke buying bread from Crumb Brothers -- so, when my sis-in-law showed me this recipe, I tried it and am SO SOLD!  (I've tried others to no avail...)

You must have some sort of dutch oven or clay baker to do this.  I use my cake pan stone and my roast stone - they fit on each other to make a clay baker.

Mix the following just until it all "comes" together.  Do not knead - it'll be pretty gooey.
* 1 1/2 cup water (warm-ish)
* 1/2 tsp. yeast
* 1 3/4 tsp. salt (I use blended sea salt, but regular will do)
* 3 cups flour  (I use 1 cup whole wheat and 2 cups white)

Cover with foil. (I put mine in an ice cream bucket with foil on the top)  Let it sit for 12 - 18 hours.  It'll get a bit fermented and even gooey-er.

Preheat your oven WITH the clay baker or dutch oven AND lid inside.  450 degrees.  In the meantime, dump out the dough onto a well floured board.  Turn it over a few times until it's all covered with flour.  DO NOT KNEAD.  Let it sit for 30 min. or an hour while your oven gets good and hot. (covered with light towel)

Place dough ball in pot  and cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes with lid ON.  Then take the lid off and bake 15 more minutes. 

Your bread should sound hollow when you knock on it.  It's hard and crusty on the outside and yum, yum inside. 

**Side note:  the first time I made this, my loaf was kind of "flat". .. I figured out that I have to make it into a "smaller" ball than I was -- and make sure the lid is hot as well.  - those were my first mistakes.  I've got it now, and I'm SO HOOKED on this bread!!!!
I guess my next recipe will be the Pesto that I make to dip it in.....