Why this recipe works We thought the savory corn flavor and toothsome texture of polenta would be an interesting addition to an Italian loaf for the dinner table. To start our development, we had to determine what type of polenta to use and how best to add it to the dough. We tested both raw instant polenta (which is ground finely and preprocessed for quicker cooking) and traditional coarse-ground polenta, which we added raw as well as cooked into porridge. Instant polenta yielded a disastrous loaf, as the finely ground grains sucked up the available water in the dough, leaving the loaf chalky and dry. Coarse-ground polenta was much more successful; incorporated dry, however, it remained gritty in the loaf. Polenta cooked for just a few minutes on the stovetop offered a soft, pillowy texture with just the right amount of chew. Since polenta increases dramatically in volume once it’s cooked, we found we could not stir all of it into the dough after kneading. Instead, we added it in two stages, incorporating half with the wet ingredients at the beginning of mixing, and the remaining half at the end. This method resulted in pleasant pockets of cooked polenta swirled throughout a hearty loaf. In keeping with the Italian flavors, we added fresh sage to the dough, which brought out the polenta’s savory notes. Finally, we coated the loaf with dry polenta, which gave the bread a crunchy, golden exterior. Do not substitute instant polenta or prepared polenta (sold in a tube) here.
MAKES: 1 loaf
COOKING TIME: 7 minutes
RESTING TIME: 6 hours 20 minutes
RISING TIME: 2 to 2½ hours
BAKING TIME: 45 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 10¼ to 10¾ hours, plus 3 hours cooling time
KEY EQUIPMENT: small saucepan, couche, water-filled spray bottle, rimmed baking sheet, baking stone, 2 (9- inch) disposable aluminum pie plates, 2 quarts lava rocks, pizza peel, flipping board, lame, instant-read thermometer
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE SPONGE
- ⅔ cup (3⅔ ounces) bread flour
- ½ cup (4 ounces) water, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
FOR THE DOUGH
- 1¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons (11 ounces) water, room temperature
- ¼ cup (1¼ ounces) plus 1 tablespoon coarse-ground polenta
- 2⅓ cups (12¾ ounces) bread flour
- 2¼ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 teaspoons minced fresh sage
- 1½ teaspoons salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Stir all the ingredients in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup with a wooden spoon until well combined. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature until the sponge has risen and begins to collapse, which takes about 6 hours (the sponge can sit at room temperature for up to 24 hours).
- Bring ¾ cup water and ¼ cup polenta to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the polenta is softened and the water is completely absorbed, which takes about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely before using.
- Whisk flour and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Break the cooked polenta into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Stir half of the polenta and the remaining water into the sponge until well combined. Using the dough hook on low speed, slowly add the sponge mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, which takes about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
- Add oil, sage, and salt to the dough and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth, elastic, and clears the sides of the bowl, which takes about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, slowly add the remaining cooked polenta, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix until mostly incorporated, which takes about 1 minute. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased large bowl or container, cover it tightly with plastic, and let it rise for 30 minutes.
- Using a greased bowl scraper or your fingertips, fold the dough over itself by gently lifting and folding the edge of the dough toward the middle. Turn the bowl 45 degrees and fold the dough again; repeat turning the bowl and folding the dough 6 more times (for a total of 8 folds). Cover it tightly with plastic and let it rise for 30 minutes. Repeat the folding process, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic and let the dough rise until nearly doubled in size, which takes 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Mist the underside of a couche (a fabric used for proofing bread) with water and drape it over an inverted rimmed baking sheet. Dust the couche evenly with flour, then sprinkle it with the remaining polenta. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter (the side of the dough that was against the bowl should now be against the counter). Press and stretch the dough into a 10-inch square, deflating any gas pockets larger than 1 inch. Fold the top and bottom corners of the dough diagonally into the center of the square and press gently to seal.
- Stretch and fold the upper and bottom thirds of the dough toward the center and press gently to seal. Stretch and fold the dough in half toward you to form a rough 12 by 4½-inch diamond-shaped loaf and pinch the seam closed.
- Gently slide your hands underneath each end of the loaf and transfer it seam side up to the prepared couche. On either side of the loaf, pinch the couche into a pleat, then fold the remaining edges of the couche over the loaf to cover it completely. Carefully place the sheet inside a large plastic garbage bag. Tie or fold under the open end of the bag to fully enclose it. Let it rise until the loaf increases in size by about half and the dough springs back minimally when poked gently with your knuckle, which takes about 30 minutes (remove the loaf from the bag to test).
- One hour before baking, adjust the oven racks to the lower-middle and lowest positions. Place a baking stone on the upper rack and place two disposable aluminum pie plates filled with 1 quart of lava rocks each on the lower rack. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a pizza peel with a 16 by 12-inch piece of parchment paper, with the long edge perpendicular to the handle. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil.
- Remove the sheet with the loaf from the bag. Unfold the couche, pulling from the ends to remove the pleats. Dust the top of the loaf with flour. If any seams have reopened, pinch them closed before dusting with flour. Gently push with the side of a flipping board, roll the loaf over so it is seam side down. Using your hand, hold the long edge of the flipping board between the loaf and couche at a 45-degree angle, then lift the couche with your other hand and flip the loaf seam side up onto the board. Invert the loaf seam side down onto the prepared pizza peel. Reshape the loaf as needed, tucking the edges under to form a taut diamond shape.
- Carefully pour ½ cup of boiling water into one disposable pie plate of preheated rocks and close the oven door for 1 minute to create steam. Meanwhile, holding a lame (scoring tool) concave side up at a 30-degree angle to the loaf, make three 6-inch-long, ½-inch-deep diagonal slashes with a swift, fluid motion across the top of the loaf, starting and stopping about ½ inch from the edges and spacing the slashes about 2 inches apart.
- Working quickly, slide the parchment with the loaf onto the baking stone and pour the remaining ½ cup of boiling water into the second disposable pie plate of preheated rocks. Bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the loaf registers 205 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit, which takes 45 to 50 minutes, rotating the loaf halfway through baking. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack, discard the parchment, and let it cool completely, about 3 hours, before serving.
