• If your starter isn’t active, feed it in the morning at a 1:1:1 ratio (e.g., 40g starter: 40g flour: 40g water) and place it in a warm spot. It should double in about 4 hours and be ready to be used in the dough. Alternatively, feed it the night before with a 1:3:3 ratio (e.g., 15g starter:45g flour: 45g water), so it’s ready by morning.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and water. Stir until all the flour is hydrated, then cover and let it rest for about 30 minutes (autolyze).
• Once the starter is active and bubbly, add it to the dough along with the salt. Use wet hands to squish and mix it in until fully incorporated. Perform slap and folds in the bowl or on the bench to fully incorporate the starter and begin developing structure.
• Over the next 3 hours, give the dough more sets of stretches and folds every 30 minutes. Keep the dough covered it in a warm spot, around 25°C/76°F.

Bulk Ferment continued

• After the folds, remove the dough and clean the bowl (old dough can stick to the bowl like glue!). Then place the dough back into the cleaned bowl and let it continue its bulk ferment. At the end, there should be definite signs of activity on the dough, like bubbles forming; the dough should be visibly puffier and jiggle if you shake the bowl. At a room temperature of around 25°C/76°F, my dough needs about another 1-2 hours, but it will take longer in colder temperatures.
• Gently turn the dough onto a floured surface. Pre-shape into a ball and let it rest for 20-30 minutes before final shaping. Shape into a round (boule) or oval (bâtard) and place it in a proofing basket seam-side up.

To shape a bâtard:

• Lightly flour the bench and tip out the dough.
• Pre-shape into a round and let it rest for 20 minutes.
• Flip it over so the smooth side is down. Gently stretch it into a rectangle.
• Fold the top third down and the bottom third up, like a pamphlet.
• Starting from the short end, roll it up tightly into a log.
• Pull the dough towards you on the bench to create surface tension.
• Place it seam-side up into a floured, lined banneton for the final proof.
• Let the dough proof in the basket at room temperature of 25°C/76°F for another 1.5-2 hours until puffy and bulked out by around 50%. You don’t want it to double, or it will be over-proofed and can be too weak to hold its shape. See the notes below for creating a warm proofing spot.

Baking

• Preheat your oven and Dutch oven to 450°F (230°C) for at least 30 minutes. If your bread has finished rising, place it in the fridge while the oven heats.
• Bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crisp.