Scrumptious Spinach Feta Bread

Yes, it’s ANOTHER tasty bread recipe ...

Spinach Feta Bread is scrumptious served with a light soup, such as Roasted Red Pepper and White Bean Soup.  It’s also very good toasted with roasted garlic butter, on the side of pasta.  Or just tear off a hunk and start snacking on it.  It’s pretty good no matter which way you go!

HERE’S ALL IT TAKES

Makes four 1-pound loaves. You can easily double or half this recipe.

• 1 cup packed cooked spinach (I used blanched spinach, squeezed dry)
• 3 cups luke warm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoon granulated yeast (or 2 packets)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• cornmeal for pizza peel

1. Mix the yeast, salt, spinach, cheese, and sugar with the water in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.
2. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy duty stand mixer (with dough hook).  If you’re not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.
3. Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.
4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold.  Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 7 days.
5. On baking day, dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on a ll four side, rotating the ball in a quarter-turn as you go.  Then form a oval-shaped loaf. Allow to rest and rise on a cornmeal-covered pizza peel for 20 minutes to an hour, or 40 minutes if you’re using fresh, unrefrigerated dough.
6. Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450ºF, with abaking stone placed on the middle rack.  Place an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won’t interfere with the rising bread.
7. Sprinkle the loaf liberally with flour and slash parallel cuts across the loaf, using a serrated bread knife.  Leave the flour in place for baking; tap some of it off before eating.
8. Slide the loaf directly onto the hot baking stone. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray, and quickly close the oven door.  Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, until deeply browned and firm.  Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in baking time.
9. Allow to cool before slicing or eating.