French Bâtard

Thanks to Kelly 'n' Bri who gifted me a Romertopf clay pot for Christmas. After three vacation weeks of not so much as boiling water, I was rarin' to go in my cucina. Less than a week in and we've had Romer lemon chicken with rice and carrots, Romer meatloaf with potatoes, and for tonight, a fresh loaf. Come on, admit it… this puppy is a thing of beauty.

After all the no-knead breads I've been making the last couple of years, it was fun to work this dough and shape it as a bâtard, which actually translates to "bastard". Go figure. Used here, though, it references the long(er), narrow(er) shape of the loaf.

It's hard to believe that ¼ ounce yeast dissolved in ⅓ cup warm water, 4-5 cups flour, 2-or-less teaspoons salt and 1 ¼ cups warm water can produce such an amazing product. Mix, knead, rise to triple - punch, knead, rise again - shape, rise a tad, slash and bake. Be sure to follow specific Romertopf instructions. Clearly a recipe for success.
Now, where's the sweet butter??