NO KNEAD PUMPERNICKEL BREAD

NO KNEAD PUMPERNICKEL BREAD image

Yield 12 slices

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

3/4 tablespoon yeast
2 1/2 teaspoonscoarse salt or 2 teaspoonstable salt
2 tablespoonsmolasses
1 cup lukewarm coffee
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoonscocoa powder
1/2 cup rye flour
2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpuse flour
cornmeal

Steps:

If measuring flour rather than weighing, don't press down, gently scoop up flour, then sweeping the top level with a knife. Mix together flours, yeast, cocoa and salt. Mix together water, coffee and molasses. Add water mixture at once. If mixing becomes too difficult with the spoon, with very wet hands and press the mixture together. Note: kneading isn't necessary. When everything is uniformly moist your mixing is complete, takes only a few min. The dough will be wet and loose enough to conform to the shape of its container. Cover with a lid (not airtight). Allow the mixture to rise at room temp until it begins to collapse, or at least flattens on the top, about 2 hrs. Longer rising times, up to about 5 hrs, are ok. You can use a portion of the dough anytime after this. Fully refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and easier to work with than dough at room temp. First time you try this method, it's best to refrigerate the dough overnight, or at least 3 hrs. Bread flavor improves with the retardation, so wait at least 24 hrs before baking first loaf. BAKING: With wet hands, pull up one end of the refrigerated dough. Using a serrated knife, cut off a grapefruit-size piece of dough. Without using flour, shape into a ball by stretching surface of the dough around to the bottom on all sides, rotating ball a quarter-turn as you go. Form into an oval-shaped loaf. Place on parchment paper dusted with cornmeal; allow to rest for 40 min. - 1 1/2 hrs. The shorter the time, the denser the crumb. 20 min. before baking, place an empty cast-iron skillet or broiler tray on bottom shelf and baking stone on center shelf; preheat oven to 400 F. Paint the top of the loaf with cornstarch wash. Use serrated knife to slash top of loaf with deep diagonal cuts. Slide loaf directly onto hot stone. Pour 1 cup of H2O into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door. Bake for about 35 - 40 minutes or until firm. Allow to cool before cutting.