Confidence is building!

Ingredients:

• 500 g bread flour (you can use up to 20% whole wheat if you like)
• 375 g water (75% hydration)
• 100 g active sourdough starter (fed 6–12 hrs earlier, bubbly and doubled)
• 10 g salt

Process:

1. Mix & Autolyse (30–60 min)
   • In a large bowl, mix 500 g flour with 350 g water (reserve 25 g for later).
   • Stir until no dry flour remains.
   • Cover and rest for 30–60 minutes.

2. Add Starter & Salt
   • Add 100 g starter and mix well.
   • Add 10 g salt plus the remaining 25 g water, kneading or pinching the dough until incorporated.

3. Bulk Fermentation (4–6 hrs at room temp, ~75°F/24°C)
   • Every 30 minutes for the first 2 hrs, perform a stretch & fold:
   • Grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over. Rotate the bowl and repeat 4 times.
   • After 2 hrs, just let it rest and rise until 30–50% larger, slightly domed, with bubbles forming.

4. Preshape & Bench Rest (20–30 min)
   • Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
   • Gently shape into a round.
   • Cover and let rest for 20–30 minutes.

5. Final Shape & Proof
   • Shape into a boule (round) or bâtard (oval) depending on your preference.
   • Place into a floured banneton (seam side up).
   • Proof:
   • Room temp: 1–2 hrs, until slightly puffy but not over-proofed.
   • Cold retard (optional, recommended): Refrigerate 8–16 hrs for better flavor and scoring control.

6. Preheat Oven
   • Place Dutch oven inside and preheat to 500°F (260°C) for 30–45 minutes.

7. Score & Bake
   • Turn dough out onto parchment.
   • Using a sharp razor/lame, score the dough:
   • For a classic ear, make a single deep slash (~30–45° angle, ½–¾ inch deep) along one side.
   • For decorative scoring, make shallower (⅛ inch) designs in addition to the main expansion slash.
   • Transfer to the hot Dutch oven.

8. Bake
   • Bake covered: 20 minutes at 475°F (245°C).
   • Uncover and reduce to 450°F (230°C), bake another 20–25 minutes, until deep golden brown.
   • Cool completely (at least 1 hr) before slicing