Vincent Price House Bread

Ingredients

• 5 cups sifted flour, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water (about 120 F)
• 2 tablespoons melted butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon ice water
• 2 cups boiling water

Directions

1. 1

   You will also need: electric mixer with paddle and dough hook attachments.

2. 2

   Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, combine 2 cups of sifted flour, ginger, salt, sugar, and yeast.

3. 3

   With the mixer on medium-low speed, add in the warm water, mix for 1 minute, then increase speed to medium-high and mix until it is smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.

4. 4

   Reduce speed to medium, then add another 1 1/2 cups flour- dough should begin to be too dense for the paddle attachment.

5. 5

   Remove paddle from the mixer, scrape the dough from it into the bowl, and attach the dough hook to the mixer.

6. 6

   On low speed, gradually add the remaining flour and let the mixer knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes, occasionally sprinkling the sides of the bowl with a little flour if the dough sticks.

7. 7

   With your hands covered with soft butter, remove the dough from the bowl and pat into a buttered ball in another large glass bowl; cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 hour or until double in size.

8. 8

   Grease baking sheet with 1 tablespoon melted butter, then dust with cornmeal.

9. 9

   Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly-floured board; form into 1 large or 2 smaller loaves.

10. 10

    Place loaves on buttered and dusted baking sheet and brush top (s) with ice water; make three or four diagonal slashes on top of dough, then let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour.

11. 11

    Preheat oven to 475°F; in the lower rack of the oven, place a shallow pan containing the boiling water.

12. 12

    Brush the top of the dough with remaining melted butter.

13. 13

    Bake dough on upper rack of oven for 7 minutes at 475°, then reduce oven temperature to 350° and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until crust has reached the preferred color and texture.

14. 14

    Remove bread from oven and transfer to a cooling rack; serve warm or at room temperature.