Amos’s ardenite bread

Instructions:

Begin with the sponge. Mix the yeast with the water, add the flour, and stir until smooth. It should be the consistency of thick pancake batter. Cover it and let it sit at room temperature for 12-24 hours or until bubbles appear and it smells like sourdough. 

When the sponge is ready, prepare the dough. In a mixing bowl, combine the ½ tsp of yeast with the 2 Tbsp of warm water. Mix it well, then add the rest of the water and stir. Then add the oil and prepared sponge. Mix it thoroughly, then add the flour, a little bit at a time. Between batches of adding flour, add the salt. Mix until a sticky dough forms, then take it out of the bowl and knead it until smooth. It will be fairly sticky, but try not to add too much flour, as this will dry out the final product. Cover the dough and let it rise until doubled.

When the dough has risen, take it out and knead it on a lightly floured surface until it is elastic and passes the windowpane test. This test can be done by pinching off a golf ball sized lump of dough and stretching it between your fingers. If it breaks, the gluten is not developed enough. The dough is ready if it stretches out into a smooth membrane thin enough for light to pass through. Shape the dough to your liking and place it on the parchment paper you will be using to bake it on. Cover the dough and let it rise until doubled or until it bounces back slowly when poked. 

Preheat your oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit and place a Dutch Oven in it to preheat for 45 minutes. When your ovens are preheated and your dough is ready, bake it at 475 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 450 degrees and remove the lid to encourage browning. 

When it is browned to your liking, take it out and let it cool completely before cutting it.