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Deflate the dough and shape it once more into a smooth round. Press seam side down into a greased round casserole or pie dish, and let it rise in the same warm place until it is high and spongy-feeling. The last rise will take only about 15 minutes if the dough is warm enough.

Meantime, preheat oven to 350°F. Brush top of loaf with oil; bake for 45 minutes. Cool, if you have time, then cut into wedges and serve.

Vienna Bread

2 teaspoons active dry yeast (¼ oz or 7 g)

½ cup warm water (120 ml)

6 cups whole wheat flour, finely ground (900 g)

2 ½ teaspoons salt (14 g)

1 egg

2 tablespoons oil (30 ml)

1 tablespoon honey (15 ml)

2 to 2 ¼ cups warm water (475 to 530 ml)

Vienna put itself emphatically on the breadmaking map around the turn of the century with its remarkable white bread. Our version is an equally remarkable whole wheat bread, simple in its ingredients, delicate yet flavorful, tender and bright; a surprisingly good keeper. To look authentic, the loaf should be a pointy, ruddy version of the classic French bread shape. Vienna bread requires steaming to give it a good crust, because the flavor otherwise is so delicate as to be underwhelming.

Dissolve the yeast in water. Combine the flour and salt. Mix the egg, oil, honey, and 2 cups of water. Mix the liquids and the yeast into a well in the flour. The dough should be just a little stiffer than usual; add more of the water if you need too, though, by wetting your hands as you knead the dough very well. Allow 20 minutes by hand.

Let rise in a warm place (80°F) about an hour and a quarter. Deflate and let rise again, about 45 minutes or so; test as usual by poking the dough about ½ inch deep with your wet finger: it is ready for the next step if the hole does not fill in at all. Be sure that you take up the dough each time before it has reached the point where the circumference of the finger-poke sighs—this will protect the flavor of your bread.

Divide the dough into two or three pieces. Shape rounds, and let them rest until they regain their suppleness. Dust a baking sheet generously with cornmeal. Shape the loaves as for French bread, except make the ends more pointy and the middle plumper.

Place loaves side by side on the dusted baking sheet; let them rise again warm, without humidity. Toward the end of the proofing period, preheat the oven very well, to 450°F. Slash the loaves just before you place them in the hot oven; make long, parallel horizontal slashes—as deep as an inch if the dough seems very bouncy and resilient.

It is essential to steam the bread liberally during the first 15 minutes of baking, until the crust shows good color (see this page): then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. (Leave the oven door open briefly if necessary to get the heat down.) Bake until done, up to half an hour more. This bread is best when it is not overbaked, so be vigilant. How fat you make the loaves, how much they rise, and how close they are together on the baking sheet all influence the amount of time the bread takes to bake.

Try using the dough from this recipe for the Kaiser rolls that follow. They are good eating, and fun to make.

Kaiser Rolls

These spectacular rolls are, admittedly, a little tricky to shape, but even though our own early experiments were far from bakery-perfect, there was never a scrap left over. When properly made, the rolls are very beautiful; properly made or not, they are large, tender-crusty, delicious. The recipe makes 16 rolls.

Prepare the dough for the Vienna Bread recipe, using 2 ½ cups of water so that the dough is soft. Follow the directions for mixing and rising.

Divide the risen dough into four pieces, shaping them into smooth rounds. Cover them snugly. When the first one relaxes, press it flat with your palms and cut it into four equal pieces. Round each one of these into a ball.

To shape the rolls, wait until each small ball is slightly relaxed. Flatten it with