DIY Wreath Bread

In a large measuring cup, stir together 1 3/4 cups warm water (100˚F) and 1/2 tsp molasses and stir until dissolved.

In a large mixing bowl, add 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 1/3 cups bread flour, 2 tsp salt, and 1 1/4 tsp yeast, whisking until combined. Add water-molasses mixture and stir with a spatula until it comes together. Knead by hand for 4 minutes. Dough should be soft and sticky to the touch but won’t stick to clean fingertips. If dough is too sticky, add flour 1 Tbsp at a time (usually 2-3 Tbsp extra flour while kneading).

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temp (69˚F – 75˚F) for 4 hours. Every hour, punch down dough with a wet hand and fold it over onto itself a few times.

After the 4 hours of rising time, punch down the dough one last time and pinch it in the center to divide into two even pieces. Generously dust 2 pieces of parchment paper with flour. Place each dough piece on its own sheet of parchment, turning it to coat in flour. Poke a hole in the center of each dough piece and stretch the dough into a ring about 5-6″ diameter in the center and 9-10″ diameter on the outside. Let the rings rest on parchment at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place an upside-down large baking sheet in the center of your oven with a cast iron or broiler pan on one side of the bottom rack. With pans in place, preheat oven to 450˚F.

Sprinkle the top of dough ring with flour. Holding kitchen scissors at a 45˚ angle to the parchment paper, cut deep slits into the dough about 1 1/2″ apart, pulling the points away from the ring as you cut them. Rotate the parchment paper as you slice to maintain the correct cutting angle.

Transfer your bread (with the parchment paper) to the preheated oven onto the hot baking sheet and immediately pour 1 cup of ice cubes into the hot cast iron pan on the bottom rack (be careful not to drip on glass surfaces!). Bake at 450˚F for 20 minutes or until top is golden brown. Repeat with the second ring.