Country Bread with Sweet Potatoes and Sage

Ingredients:

• 4 and 1/4 cups bread flour, plus extra for working with the dough
• 1 and 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 and 1/3 cups warm water (40°C-43°C)
• 1 medium sweet potato (340 g)
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil + extra for greasing the bowl
• 2.5 tsp + a pinch of coarse salt
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• Cornmeal, for dusting

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup bread flour, 1/4 teaspoon yeast, and 2/3 cup warm water. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until the dough rises and is bubbly, about 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, pierce the sweet potato several times with a knife and microwave until tender, 8-10 minutes. Let cool slightly.
3. Peel the tuber and transfer the flesh to a food processor along with olive oil and a pinch of salt; blend until smooth. You should get about 1 cup of puree; if you get more than 1 cup, set the excess aside for another use.
4. Stir the dough with a spoon to loosen it, then add the remaining 2/3 cup warm water and 1.5 teaspoons yeast and mix. Add another 2.5 cups bread flour, sage, sugar, and the remaining 2.5 teaspoons salt; knead until a rough dough forms and no dry flour remains in the bowl. Let stand until the flour has absorbed some of the liquid, 5 minutes.
5. Place the remaining 3/4 cup flour in a small bowl. This is the flour for working with the dough. Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Lightly flour the surface of the dough. Knead the dough, adding more flour as needed, until it is very smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can knead the dough with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook on medium speed for about 5 minutes.
6. Generously flour the work surface underneath the dough, then form the dough into a rough square. Spread about half of the sweet potato puree on top. Pull and fold the edges of the dough over the puree, then begin to mix (it will be a messy mess at first, but eventually the two layers will blend). Add more flour as needed to knead the puree into the dough, about 1 minute (use a pastry scraper or butter knife to scrape up any excess puree and fold it back into the dough).
7. Smooth out the dough and fold in the remaining puree. Continue kneading the dough, using the remaining flour, until the puree is incorporated but not completely combined and the dough comes together into a ball, 2-5 minutes (it's okay if the surface of the ball is a little rough). Place the dough, smooth side up, in a lightly oiled large bowl, turning it over to coat all sides with oil.
8. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
9. Carefully turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently press down on the dough to deflate it. Stretch and pull the edges into the center of the dough, starting with two sides, then the other two sides; repeat until the dough is round. Using a bench scraper, turn the dough over to a spot with almost no flour. Grasp the dough with your hands and gently pull it toward you about 2.5 cm.
10. Rotate the dough slightly and gently pull it toward you again. Continue this process 5-7 more times. The dough should be slightly higher than before, and the top should feel taut.
11. Line a large bowl with a clean towel and dust it with flour. Place the dough seam-side up, dust it with flour, then cover with plastic wrap. Set aside to rise until the dough has risen by about half, about 1 hour. If your kitchen temperature is above 24°C (75°F), refrigerate the dough.
12. Place a large Dutch oven on the middle shelf of the oven; preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F). Uncover the dough and shake off any excess flour from the bottom. Sprinkle the top with cornmeal. Place a piece of parchment paper on the dough, then carefully flip it over and place it on the parchment. Trim the parchment to fit inside the Dutch oven, leaving enough paper around the dough to allow for lifting.
13. Carefully remove the cauldron from the oven and place the dough inside, lifting it by the parchment. Using a sharp knife, make a long cut about 0.5 cm deep on the surface of the dough.
14. Cover the casserole dish with a lid and bake the bread for 15 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake until the bread is golden brown, firm, and sounds hollow when tapped, another 15-20 minutes. Let the bread cool in the casserole dish for 5-10 minutes.
15. Then, using a large metal spatula, transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool for at least 1 hour; the crust will soften slightly.