Derived from The Clever Carrot’s guide

  • 75g active starter, 100% hydration
  • 12g olive oil
  • 120g water (50% baker’s precentage)
  • 250g all-purpose flour
  • 4g salt

Thoroughly mix starter, oil, salt, and water. Add flour. Mix loosely, just until all the flour is incorporated. Let the dough rest for 30 to 60 minutes (autolyse). Stretch and fold every half hour for 2.5 to 3 hours. Bulk rise for 2 to 4 hours, depending on ambient temperature. Form dough into a boule, and cold proof for 12-36 hours in a refrigerator (approximately 40 degrees Farenheit).

To bake, preheat oven to 450 degrees Farenheit. Line a Dutch oven with parchment paper, sprinkle flour on the bottom of the loaf, and place the loaf on the paper (or use a bread sling). Score the loaf to avoid side ruptures. Cover the Dutch oven. Reduce temperature to 400 degrees F and place the covered Dutch oven in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove cover. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 35-40 minutes.

To avoid gumminess, let the loaf rest on a wire rack for an hour before cutting into it.

For a double recipe, bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F covered, uncover, then bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Notes

  • Damp hands prevent the dough from sticking to your hands. Don’t over-do it, though; you want hands that are damp, not sopping.
  • Until you know your starter well, make sure the starter passes the float test every time. Starters can regress!
  • Baking a loaf longer can help prevent a gummy texture, but will make the crust very hard.
  • Fold and stretch on the dough’s timetable. Stretch and fold the before the bulk rise, or there will be gummy lines in the dough.
  • Don’t let the bulk rise go for too long. In my experience, letting the dough rise overnight at room temperature is far too long.
  • Bread tastes best immediately after baking, but keeps fairly well for a day if uncut. Freeze what you don’t eat on baking day, preferrably cut into slices for easy toasting.

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