Flank steak sandwich on homemade bread





The dough is not kneaded, rather, it is kept in the bowl and kept on the wet side, more of a sponge than a firm dough, more loose than stiff. An edge is pulled then folded back onto the top. The bowl is rotated and another edge is pulled and stacked on top again, patty cake style, turned, pulled, and folded again, and again and again until the bowl is fully rotated, and then more if an edge should stick out. This is where salt is introduced between layers, and additional dusting of flour between layers where necessary to prevent the wet dough from sticking to the bowl, until the pile of pulled and stacked edges is sufficiently steady to vaguely hold its shape. This stretching substitutes for kneading, it is a form of kneading, and it results in a satisfactory outer skin that will keep it all together and become the bread's crust when baked.

It is an eloquent and professional technique of producing a loaf of bread. It is the sort of thing we pros do once we get over ourselves. 


Pizza stone and large unglazed bisque clay bowl preheating to maximum hotness. You can see how the bowl inverted will have the shape of a cloche, a hat. This top and bottom will behave as a super heated enclosed clay oven. 








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