Pane Toscano (Tuscan Bread)

Tuscan bread is simple and is intended to be more a part of something than to stand on it's own. Usually it's topped with a spreads, tapenades, or a variety of meats and cheeses. The bread is bland tasting so that it doesn't interfere with the other flavors of the toppings. This bread is great for those who are on low sodium diet, but Tuscans have baked and loved this saltless bread for centuries and I don't plan on messing with a food with so much history.

Tips:

Be patient - I know it's hard to wait, but it is necessary to let the bread do it's thing.
More rustic - if you want to go for a more rustic looking bread, use unbleached flour. 
Toast and Top - toasting the bread does develop some flavor for the bread and it also makes the bread stand up to saucy toppings. Looking for a topper? See my recipe for Spinach Artichoke Spread.

**Make the sponge the night before you want to make bread.**

Oven Temperature: 450/375 degrees

Prep Time: 1 day + 20-25 minutes

Bake Time: 40-45 minutes

Servings: 1 large loaf

Sponge

1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

2/3 cup lukewarm (110 degrees) water

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/3 cup lukewarm (110 degrees) water 

1 cup room temperature water

3 cups all purpose flour, plus additional for sprinkling

Directions:

1) In a medium bowl, stir the 1/4 teaspoon yeast into the 2/3 cup warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the 1 1/3 cups flour and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature overnight.

2) For the next day: In a large bowl, stir the 1 1/4 teaspoons yeast into the 1/3 cup warm water. Let stand until foamy (about 10 minutes). 

3) Grease a large bowl with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. Also prepare your baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or spraying it with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

4) Add the sponge and 1 cup of water and mix until the sponge is nearly dissolved.

5) Gradually stir in the  flour until the dough is stiff enough to knead (knead in the remaining flour). Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes). 

6) Place the dough in a well-greased bowl, turning to coat all sides, cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

7) DO NOT PUNCH THE DOUGH!! Carefully turn the dough onto your prepared pan without handling it roughly. Gently form it into a large, round loaf by pulling all the edges underneath, gathering them and squeezing them together. Be sure to create a smooth top. Cover the dough with a moist towel, and set aside to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

8) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. With a sharp or serrated knife, score the top of the bread in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Place the pan into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, misting bread with water from a spray bottle every 4-5 minutes (3 times total).

9) Remove the pan from the oven and lightly sprinkle the loaf with flour. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and cool before slicing.