Hickory King Country Loaf

Cooked Cornmeal:

1 Cup Water
1/3 Cup Coarse Ground Hickory King
(This can be substituted with another cornmeal)

Bring the water to a boil and whisk in the cornmeal. Turn the heat down to a simmer and allow the cornmeal to cook for about 5 minutes. Cool this completely before using.

Sponge:

260g Water
98g Sorghum
4g Yeast, Instant Dry
260g Bread Flour

Combine the first three ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk them together. Be sure to mix your sponge in a bowl large enough to allow it to triple in size. Add the flour and combine thoroughly making sure that you reach a smooth even consistency. Plastic wrap the bowl or cover it with a towel and allow it to rest and activate for 2 hours.

Final Dough:

all Sponge
100g Cooked Hickory King
15g Whole Wheat Flour
160g Bread Flour
12g Iodized Salt

You will also need ground Hickory King for coating

Combine all your ingredients in a table top mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed until everything has come together and is evenly distributed. This should take 3-4 minutes. Turn the speed up to medium and mix for approximately 5-6 minutes. The dough will become smooth with slight striations and you will notice that its elasticity has strengthened. It will be slightly sticky to the touch. Place the dough into an oiled bowl and proof for 45 minutes, covered.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently fold the dough onto itself 2-3 times. Dust off the excess flour and allow it to rest for another 30 minutes in the bowl. Once rested, turn the dough out again and gently pat it out. Take the left and right sides of the dough and fold them inward, over each other. Place the dough, seam side down, onto a lightly floured surface and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. After resting for a final time, shape the loaf into a round by rotating the dough around in a circle, seam side down and applying pressure to it onto the table from the sides of the loaf. It should hold its shape well enough that it only relaxes slightly when released.

Once shaped roll the top of the loaf on a wet paper towel then onto some ground grits so that its seam is facing upright and place it into a lightly-floured bowl. Cover this with a towel. Allow the dough to proof for approximately an hour and a half at room temperature. Preheat your oven in the meantime to 500F. You will need a Dutch oven for baking the loaf. Ten minutes before the loaf is ready to be baked, allow the entire Dutch oven to preheat. Very carefully remove the pan. Flour the seam side of the loaf and turn it out into the Dutch oven so that the seam is facing down. Score the top of the loaf with one crescent shaped cut that circles 2/3 around the top of the loaf using a razor blade. Put the lid back onto the dish and place it in the oven. Turn the oven down to 450F and bake for 20 minutes with then lid on then carefully remove the lid and bake for another 20 minutes. Allow the loaf to cool completely before enjoying!

Katie Bennett, Head Baker