Crusty Boule

Combine water, yeast and salt in a large bowl. With spoon, or mixer with paddle attachment, stir in flour. Dough will be wet.

Place dough in a large bowl, covered with cloth, or in a 5-quart lidded container covered with lid, but do not snap airtight. Let rise at room temperature 2 hours.

Refrigerate overnight or up to 14 days.

Use 1 lb. (grapefruit size) portion of Master recipe.

Hold dough and dust top with flour. Quickly shape into a ball by stretching surface of dough around bottom on all four sides, rotating dough a quarter turn as you go.

Place dough (smooth side down) into a well-dusted proofing bowl. Cover loosely with lightly-floured plastic wrap. Let stand in warm, draft-free space for 1 hour, or until dough is slightly puffed and no longer chilled.

30 minutes before baking, place a baking stone on center oven rack, place empty broiler pan on bottom oven rack. Heat oven to 450 degrees F

Turn out dough from proofing basked onto a a pizza peel lined with parchment paper. Lightly dust loaf with flour. With a lame, make 2-3, ¼-inch-deep slashes on top of the loaf. Slide loaf, with parchment paper, onto the baking stone. Immediately pour 1 cup hot water into broiler pan; quickly close oven door to trap steam.

Bake 30 minutes or until deep golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom. Cool completely on wire rack.