artisan italian bread
sponge starter : mix all the sponge starter ingredients together using a kitchenaid with dough hook , on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until a somewhat elastic and very stiff batter has formed
scrape the sponge into a plastic container and cover it with a see-thru lid
let the sponge rest about 6 hours at room temperature until it has risen to the point where it just begins to collapse
the sponge will triple in volume and small dents and folds will begin to appear in the top as it reaches its peak and then begins to deflate
the sponge starter is now ready
to make the bread: combine the warm water and yeast in your kitchenaid bowl and stir with a fork to dissolve the yeast
let stand for 3 minutes
add the cool water and 1 / 2 of the sponge starter to the yeast mixture and mix for about 1 minute , breaking up the sponge
the mixture should look milky and slightly foamy
add the flour and salt and mix to incorporate the flour , scraping the sides of the bowl until the dough gathers into a mass
it will be wet and sticky , with long strands of dough hanging from the dough hook
if the dough is not sticky , add 1 tablespoon of water
add a tbsp or so of flour and knead for 2-3 minutes , until it becomes supple and fairly smooth
this is a sticky , wet dough
don't be tempted to add too much flour
turn off the mixer , and using a large dish towel or plastic wrap , cover the bowl while still on the mixer and allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes
remove plastic wrap and knead the dough again for 2-3 minutes , until it is stretchy and smooth yet still slightly sticky
dump the dough onto the counter and shape it into a loose ball , place it in a lightly oiled bowl , and turn the dough in the bowl to coat with oil
cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm dark place for 1 hour then transfer the bowl to the refrigerator for 8 hours to let it relax , develop flavor , and become more manageable
take the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours , until it begins to warm up and starts to rise
flour a work surface well and gently dump the dough onto it
divide the dough into three equal pieces
working with one piece at a time , gently flatten , pressing out some of the air bubbles , and stretch it into a rectangle
fold the top third down and the bottom third up as if you were folding a business letter
seal the seam with the heel of your palm , then repeat with the letter fold
now form the loaf into a baguette by rolling the dough into a loaf shape
the loaves should now be about 10 inches long
place loaf onto a sheet of parchment paper with enough room for the other two loaves
make the other two loaves
the loaves will be soft and slightly irregular in shape
leave space between the loaves as they will spread as they rise
cover the loaves with well oiled plastic and let them rise for 2 hours
place a baking stone in the oven on the 2nd rack from the bottom and preheat the oven to 450f
diagonally score each loaf in about 4 places about 1 / 8" deep , being careful not to deflate them too much
carefully slide them with the parchment paper onto the baking stone in the oven
using a plant sprayer , quickly mist the loaves and the sides of the oven with water , then quickly shut oven door
mist the loaves again after 2 minutes , and again after another 2 minutes
bake for about 25 minutes or until the loaves sound slightly hollow when tapped on the bottom and the crust is a medium to dark brown
transfer the bread to a rack to cool
let rest at least 15 minutes before serving