Artisan Bread

In a large plastic container (5-6 quarts) with lid, pour in water, add yeast and salt. Stir well.

Dump the flour into container. Stir flour in with mixture using a whisking tool. Stir until all the flour is incorporated into a wet rough dough.

Put the lid on the container but not closed allowing the gases from the yeast to escape. Allow dough to sit at room temperature for approximately 2 hours for it to rise.

Dust the surface of the dough with flour to prevent it from sticking when pulling it out.

Cut off a 1 lb piece of dough using a kitchen shears and form it into a ball. Place the ball on a sheet of parchment paper. Let the dough rest for 60-90 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with a pizza baking stone on center of rack with a metal broiler tray on the bottom. Add a cup of hot water to the broiler tray.

Cut the loaf with ¼ inch slashes using a very sharp serrated knife. Slide the loaf into the oven onto the preheated stone. Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes or until a deep brown color. Remove the parchment paper after 20-25 minutes to crisp up the bottom crust. Continue to bake the loaf directly on the pizza stone for last 5-10 minutes. Remove bread from oven. Allows 20 minutes for bread to cool before eating.

Repeat with remaining dough.