Sour Doughnut? or Rustic Italian Style Tortano Bread

Ingredients

11/2 tsp Active Rise yeast

1 cup water- 115 degrees

2/3 cup unbleached bread flour

1 small potato(3 ounces)

3 cups Unbleached Bread flour

3/4 cup spelt flour

1 3/4 cups plus 3 Tblspn Water, including potato water used for cooking.

The Starter or pre-ferment

2 tspn Honey

1/4 cup packed Potato puree

1 Tblpsn salt

Preparation

Step I. Pre-ferment

11/2 tsp Active Rise yeast

1 cup water- 115 degrees

2/3 cup unbleached bread flour

1 small potato(3 ounces)

1. Dissolve a tspn of sugar in the water in a glass measure and let stand for 5-10 mins. Add 1/3 cup of this bloomed water to the flour and beat this very sticky starter until well combined.

2. Cover with plastic wrap and let it ferment for about 12 hours or overnight until it is full of huge bubbles and sharp tasting. If you rkitchen is too warm, unlike mine you can place it in the fridge after

3-4 hrs of fermenting and in the morning remove it and allow it to come to room temperature for about an hour before forming the final dough.

3. Quarter the potato, boil in water to cover intil it can be easily pierced with a knife maybe about 20 mins.

Step II. Mixing the Dough and Baking

3 cups Unbleached Bread flour

3/4 cup spelt flour

1 3/4 cups plus 3 Tblspn Water, including potato water used for cooking.

The Starter or pre-ferment

2 tspn Honey

1/4 cup packed Potato puree

1 Tblpsn salt

1. Use your fingers to mix the flour and water into a rough, very wet dough in a large bowl. Cover the dough and let rest for 10-20 minutes.

2. Now, add the starter from Step I, honey, potato and salt and knead the dough in the bowl of the kitchen aid. Fit the dough hook and on medium speed mix until it is smooth for about 15-20 minutes.

3. It starts off feeling rubbery and then as you keep kneading it will break down and if you keep going it will eventually come together into a smooth, shiny dough.

Since this is a tremendously wet and sticky dough scrape the dough down instead of adding any more flour because that could ruin the texture of the bread. The final dough will be almost pourably wet.

4. Shape the dough into a ball and roll it in flour. Place it in a container at least 3 times its size and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let it ferment until doubled in size and filled with large air bubbles for almost

4 hours. Turn the dough 4 times in 20 minute intervals between fermentation time using enough dusting of flour up until 1 hour and 20 minutes have passed.

5. Then leave the dough undisturbed for the rest of the fermenting time. Make sure not to allow the dough to overferment or collapse since that will impact the flavor and texture of your product.

Shaping and Proofing

6. Turn out the dough onto a well floured work surface like your cleaned kitchen counter, round it and let it rest for 20 mins. Sprinkle a wooden board generously with flour. Slip a

baking sheet under the board if you are using one for support.

7. Again sprinkling the top of the dough ball with enough flour, push your fingers into the center to make a hole, then rotate your hand around the hole to widen it to make a 3-4 inch opening. Notice

that the bread is now a circular ring about 12 inches in diameter. If you prefer, shape into loaves of elongated French bread and slash the tops.

8. Place the dough smooth side(bottom) down on the floured boad and dust the surface with more flour. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it proof until it is light and springs back when pressed. This

proofing lasts for about 1 1/2 hours.

Baking

9. When the proofing is completed and the dough springs back when pressed with a finger, arrange a rack on the oven's second to top shelf and place a baking stone on it if you have one.

Since I did not have a baking stone, I used a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

10. Remove the plastic wrap gently and turn out onto a sheet of parchment paper. No worry about damaging the bread shape when you handle it since it will recover its shape. Slash it with

4 radical cuts. Slide the loaf onto the baking sheet or stone and bake intil it is very dark brown for about 40-50 mins.

4. Drain, reserve the water for the dough. Remove skin, press the cooked potato through a ricer or sieve to puree. Reserve only 1/4 cup puree and keep in fridge.