First Try.
Ingredients were 3c. flour, 1/2 tsp "dry active" yeast, 1.5 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1.5c. water. (2:1 ratio)
Recipe from the internet.
Whisked all the dry together. Add water slowly and fold gently into center. Don't over-mix.
I covered with DRY towel for 18 hours but bubble production was almost nonexistent!
Baked at 450deg 30min covered and then 8 min uncovered.
Result= Outer crust was hard as a rock. Teeth breaking hard. Too salty for my taste. No bubbles in the center and chewy.
Second Try.
This time the ingredients were: 3c. flour, 1 tsp "dry active" yeast, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1.5c. water.
This time I covered with a WET towel for 6 hrs.
Decent bubbles, but I think they mostly popped when transferring to the parchment paper.
Baked at only 400deg 30 min covered, and then 15 min uncovered.
Result= There were good bubbles before but they seemed to completely flatten in the oven while cooking.
(Bread needs a high initial heat to puff up and retain shape.)
Good outer crust but simply not cooked in the center. Should have baked it longer.
Third Try.
Same ingredient formula as #2 but I used "fast acting" yeast for 8 hours.
Very good bubble production.
I also put the mixed dough in the rise bowl directly on parchment paper so it would retain it's shape when transferred to the nabe/hotpot/casserole dish.
This time I baked it at 450deg for only 20 minutes and then 10 minutes uncovered.
Result= Still a little chewy in center and should have been 25-30 min covered.
Not much flavor but the bake result is pretty close.
