Crusty French Bread
2 1/4 cups unbleached flour (more or less as needed)
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup warm (not hot) water
Mix together 1 1/2 cups four, yeast and salt.
Add water and mix with wooden spoon until smooth and pulls away from sides of bowl.
Add more flour until firm enough to to turn out of bowl and knead.
On lightly floured surface, knead dough (adding more flour as needed) until tacky and smooth.
Let rise in bowl covered with plastic wrap until almost doubled, 45-60 minutes.
Optional second rise: Punch down dough, knead briefly and let rise a second time until almost doubled, 45 minutes.
Gently form dough into loaf, rolling up jelly roll style, pinch edges closed.
Place on cornmealed baking stone, dust with flour, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled 30-45 minutes.
Slash top of loaf.
Bake at 400 for 40 minutes, spraying bottom of oven with water a few times during first 5 minutes of baking.