Rustic Bread

This is a new recipe I tried recently.  As I got into it, I did not have much hope that it was going to be very good. As it turned out, it was excellent.

 The first day, you make a sponge.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon  rapid-rise yeast
1 cup water

Cover it and let it sit overnight.

 The next day, add the following to the sponge:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast
2/3-1  cup water
1/3 cup  milk

 It is a very wet dough.  Place it in an oiled bowl, cover and let it rise until doubled.

 Dump it on an oiled piece of parchment paper. Using a bench scraper, fold the ends over and over into the center about 6 times.  Split it in half, cover and let it rise for 30 minutes.

 I made a dipping sauce to go with the bread.  Mix 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese with 2 tsp. parsley and 1 tsp. of thyme.  Add a shake or two of red pepper flakes.

 Dice 8 cloves of garlic and toast it being careful not to let it burn.  Strain the oil off and save it.  Dry the garlic on paper towels.

 Oops...where did these come from?

 Here is a pic of the folding.

 Back to the dipping.....mix the garlic in with the cheese mixture. Sprinkle in some sea salt.

Bake the bread at 450 degrees for about 30  minutes.  Flip it over halfway through the cooling time.

 This is a really good bread.

When ready to serve, pour some good olive oil or the oil you cooked the garlic in into a small bowl and add a couple spoonfuls of the cheese mixture.