Mountain Men

I know you remember my sister-cousins in Montana. Well, Dan, he makes the best bread you ever done tasted!! And Jesse he likes to help out. They both like to don getups!

I just know you want to try Dan's bread recipe. And I am sure you want to try his sister-wife's, Sheryl's, preserves. But, as of yet, she ain't giving that recipe out. No, no. Even Gwyneth Paltrow has tried to put the squeeze on. To no avail.

Dan's Mountain High Bread (as transcribed by sister-wife Sheryl)

3 cups of flour (bread flour is best-Sheryl) (whole wheat is better- Suddie)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon of dry yeast
1 1/3 cup of cool water
corn meal for dusting

medium bowl, stir flour, salt , yeast, water...stir for thirty seconds, sticky mess dough will result.
cover bowl with plastic wrap.
let sit at room temperature until surface is dotted with bubbles, overnight 18 hours is best
12 hours, still works
scrape onto a board in one piece of glob
tuck edges in towards center to make dough round. do not knead the dough
use a linen or cotton tea towel...dust towel with cornmeal, liberally
fold towel around dough.....
let sit for one to two hours. dough is ready when doubled....(this is the second rise)

1/2 hour before, heat oven to 475, oven rack in lower third of oven.
heat heavy pot in the hot oven , with lid, during the 30 minutes preheat.
take the empty pot out, dust with cornmeal.... and roll the dough into the hot pot, place lid on top,
bake thirty minutes at 475 degrees.

remove lid after thirty minutes and bake until bread is nicely browned. remove,
from oven...let cool, if you can wait..you can wipe the top of the loaf with butter and a paper towel.

Now if you can follow that recipe you're a better dog than me.

Fond memories of Montana.