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1. Place the yeast in the warm water, about 105°F. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir to dissolve.
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2. Place the yeast mixture in the mixing bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer. Beat in 4 cups of flour and beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl, about 10 minutes on medium speed. If mixing by hand, beat vigorously with a wooden spoon, about 15 minutes.
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3. Meanwhile, soak the cornmeal in the ½ cup of water for a few minutes. Add to the dough, using a dough hook on the mixer. Mix well. Add the salted water. Beat in the remaining flour and knead for 5 minutes, or knead 15 minutes by hand.
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4. Place on a plastic countertop, or on a piece of plastic wrap, and cover with a large stainless-steel bowl. Let rise until double in bulk, about 2 hours. Punch down and let rise for another 1½ hours.
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5. Punch down again and mold into 3 or 4 circular loaves. Place on 2 lightly greased baking sheets that have been dusted with cornmeal. Cover and let rise until almost double. You can use an extra oven with a pan of hot water in the bottom to create steam, perfect for raising dough.
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6. Preheat the oven to 450°F. When the loaves have risen to double their original bulk, place them in the upper third of the oven.
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IMPORTANT:
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Place a pan of hot water on the bottom shelf. This will assure you of a great crust. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the bread is nicely browned and the loaves sound hollow when you thump the bottom with your finger.
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NOTE:
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Place a small paper sack on your scale and weigh out 2 pounds 3 ounces of flour. (Unless you can get hard wheat flour, use good unbleached white flour.)
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