The Apostle easy recipe

The Apostle is alive

Process

In a bowl mix

- 3 cups of flour

- 1 cup of warm water

- 1 tbl spoon salt

- 1 cup of The Apostle starter

* mix thoroughly with a kitchen knife

* add another 3/4 cups of flour and continue to mix with a knife to thicken

* with a wet hand, stretch and fold the dough by pulling the outside dough up and over the middle of the dough ball. Rotate the bowl with each stretch and fold (10 stretch and folds should do it)

* cover with a plastic shower cap if you have one and let it sit for 4 hours

*After four hours it should have doubled in size. Stretch and fold it again ten times to knock it back down and add more air to the loaf.

TIME TO SOUR IT UP!

* Placing the wet dough in the refrigerator will increase how sour your bread will become. It will also firm up the dough so

you can shape it into a ball prior to cooking.

* Place the dough in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours but if you want to get biblical, you can keep it in their for 3 days.

* When you remove it from the refrigerator it should be cold and firm

* Stretch and fold it with wet hand one last time.

* using your wet hands remove the dough from the bowl onto a cutting board that has 1 tbl spoon of flour spread out upon it.

* Sprinkle 1 tbl spoon of flour over the top of of the dough and spread it over the top surface of the dough with your hands to dry and allow shaping. Note: do not mix the new flour into the dough ball, just cover the surface.

* shape into a dough ball by cupping your hands around the edges and pushing the edges under the dough. Transfer the

dough onto a parchment covered shaping bowl and score the top of the dough

* you can cook it now or if you want to get biblical, "Let It Rise" for about an hour or two but not longer than that or it may fall when you make the transfer into the cooking lid. Letting it rise will create more air pockets within the bread as it cooks which is a trademark of sourdough bread.

Cooking

* transport the dough ball onto an oven cooking pan using the parchment paper. The top of a double Dutch oven works great for this.

* preheat your oven to 500 degrees. If using a double Dutch oven, leave the bottom of the pot in the oven to heat up and use the top outside the oven to place your dough onto for final preparation. Using this method will help ensure the bottom of the loaf doesn't burn.

SECRET STEPS!

* While the oven is heating up, anoint (spray) the top of the loaf with Canola oil. This will enhance the color and taste of the cooked loaf.

* sprinkle coarse kosher salt over the top of the oiled dough ball. Trust me on this. We are meant to be the Salt of the earth and this step is what everyone will comment on when they eat it.

* if using the double Dutch oven, with "gloved hands", remove the hot bottom of the pot, invert it and place it over the top of the pot containing your prepared bread dough

* cook for 30 minutes at 500 degrees, internal temperature should be 191-205 degrees

* remove from the DD oven and place onto a cool rack. Cover the hot loaf with a clean kitchen towel for a minimum of 20 minutes to allow it to still cook within the loaf so it become airy and not doughy.

* Enjoy your new creation! Did I mention the taste is heavenly?