Artisan Old World Bread

I've been making old world artisan bread at the Apple Farm lately. It's delicious and extra good toasted and served with butter. A slow rise adds an extra dimension  of flavor.
The technique involved requires a good scale, instant yeast, fine sea salt, and a Dutch oven. The rest can be worked around if you don't have them. A 12 qt round container and a proofing basket. First of all use an accurate scale to measure ingredients.

Measure                           Percentages
1000 gm white flour        100%
720 gm water                    72%
20 gm fine sea salt             20%
2 gm instant yeast              02%

Measure the flour into a 12 qt round container. Add the water warmed to 95 - 105 degrees and stir with your hand. Get all the dry bits that remain on the bottom and sides and incorporate them into the dough. Let this mixture sit covered for 20 to 30 min. Longer if possible. The longer the better. This is called the autolyse. It allows the flour to better hydrate and starts the progression of flavor building. After the flour and water have sat for a while sprinkle the instant yeast and fine sea salt over the surface of the top of the dough. The technique involved here is to handle the dough very gently. There is no kneading involved, After you sprinkle the salt and yeast, using a wet hand, (wet your hand as needed) fold the dough over itself by grabbing a portion of the edge of the dough and pulling up till you feel resistance then dropping it over the top of the dough. Then pinch large pieces of dough between your hands and mush them together gently, then let it sit covered with plastic wrap sprayed with vegetable oil. Do a fold (pull the dough up and let it fall on to itself) every 20 minutes three times in the first hour.

After the dough has doubled in volume gently turn the dough out onto a floured board as even as possible. You will cut it in half so dust the middle with flour.Take half the dough and fold it in your hands making s smooth round top and place it in a well floured bowl. Cover with a wet towel or oiled plastic wrap and let rise for 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile heat the oven and dutch oven on a middle shelf, for 45 min at 525 degrees. Gently turn out he dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. With floured hands pick up the formed dough and carefully (the dutch oven is extremely hot. Be careful) and gently place the dough in the preheated dutch oven. Be cautious when handling the hot cast iron Dutch oven, use long sleeve oven mitts. Bake for 35 min, then remove the the top of the Dutch oven and bake for 10 more minutes or more till the loaf is dark brown. Turn the finished loaf out and cool on a rack. Let the bread cool for at least 40 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy