This rendition of a Crusty Cobb Bread is a hearty loaf of bread that will last stored in a parchment paper bag for 4-5 days in a cool spot on your kitchen counter or your bread box.

By Hand or Mixer: that is the question!
When we first made this bread, we did it all by hand (well mostly Randy).  So one day I decided we should have a bake off. I would knead the dough with our mixer with the dough hook Randy would knead it by hand. Same Recipe and Process. The results - no difference!  Now we let the mixer do most of the work! 

Timing

Total Time:  4 1/2 Hours
Prep Time:  35 Minutes
Cook Time:   30 Minutes

Servings:   24

4 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon salt
generous 1/3 stick of butter
1 1/3 cup warm water
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons + 3/4 teaspoon of dry active yeast (or 3 envelopes)
olive oil for coating the bowl and dough
corn meal to coat the pizza peel

Place the sugar in a small bowl and pour the water in and stir to allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes. Measure the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and salt and mix with a spatula until lightly incorporated. After the yeast has bloomed pour the mixture into the large bowl and start to mix it together. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and attach a dough hook to the machine and set it on low medium speed and let the machine knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Spray a large bowl with oil and the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm dry place. I put my dough in the oven with the light on. Let the dough rise for 2 hours. Cover the pizza peel with a generous coat of cornmeal. Turn the dough out of the bowl into you flour dusted hands and twist and work the dough for about a minute eventually forming the dough into a ball and laying the dough on the cornmeal covered pizza peel. Cover the dough with a moistened kitchen towel and let the dough rise on the kitchen counter for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. After the dough has risen the second time, spray olive oil on the dough, with a sharp knife cut 3 diagonal lines across the top of the loaf and slide it onto the stone in the oven. Spray the oven liberally before you close the door. Spray every 10 minutes. Cook for approximately 30 minutes until the crust is brown and the crust makes a hollow sound when hit with a spoon. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.