Crusty Bread

• 1 1/2 cups slightly warm water, about 90 degrees
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
• Cornstarch for dusting

Directions

Add the ingredients to your bread machine in the order listed. Set the machine on the dough cycle. The dough is going to be very sticky. Check the kneading cycle to make sure the flour is being fully incorporated. At the end of the dough cycle (mine is 120 minutes long) remove the dough to a large bowl. If you have a scraper tool you'll want to use it for this next step.

With the scraper tool, fold the dough over onto itself, cover the bowl with a dish towel and let it rest for 15 minutes. Do this three more times, for a total of 4 folding and resting steps.

At the end of the last rest period, turn your oven on to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust the paper with cornstarch. Flour your hands and turn the dough out onto the parchment paper, forming the dough into a ball. After all the prior folding and resting the dough should now be stretchy with big bubbles. Cover the dough with a towel and let rest for another 15 minutes.

Spritz the loaf with water and place on the center rack of your oven. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the loaf is browned and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool completely on a rack. I rubbed the crust with a tablespoon of butter to make the crust shiny and chewy.