This is a bread recipe for a simple white bread, similar to a French or Italian loaf. I've developed this over time using techniques learned from books by Ruhlman and Reinhardt, and lots of experimentation.
I call it "4462 Bread" because it's based on ratios and that helps me remember the recipe/technique.
Day One:
About 24 hours before you plan to make bread, combine in a small bowl:
4 ounces bread flour
4 ounces water - room temperature
1 tsp buttermilk
1/2 tsp instant yeast
Stir this well, it'll seem like a really thick pancake batter, then cover it up and leave it on the counter for 24 hours at room temperature.
Day Two:
Preheat the oven to 425dF. I like to preheat at the very beginning, even before my dough rises, to make sure the oven is warmed evenly.
Put the sponge/starter from Day One in your stand mixer bowl.
Add:
6 ounces bread flour
2 ounces warm water @ about 100dF
2 tsp yeast
2 tbsp white sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
Mix together for a minute until it forms into a ball. (I just use the dough hook attachment on my stand mixer, holding it in my hand and using it like a spoon until it's mixed together enough for the machine to take over.)
Knead for 7 minutes, dough will be a little sticky and soft, it will clear the sides of the bowl when mixing but the bottom will remain stuck. After 7 minutes, transfer to a very well oiled bowl.
Let rise for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Punch down and turn out onto a surface, let rest about 10 minutes and then make into a baguette shape on a baking pan lined with greased parchment.
Put the dough in the oven and spray water in there to create steam then close the door real quick. Open it up after 1 minute and spray some more water in it. After 1 more minute, spray water again and drop the temperature to 350.
Bake about 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through baking if necessary to create even browning.
Let cool for ~30 minutes then serve with quality butter.
