Best Bakers' Secrets

2. Mix the dough. Stir the active starter into 350 g water. Add 500 g bread flour and mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. This rest, called autolyse, gives the flour time to absorb water and makes the dough easier to strengthen.

3. Add the salt. Sprinkle 10 g salt over the dough and work it in with wet hands. Pinch and fold the dough for 2-3 minutes until the salt is evenly distributed. The dough will still look rough, but it should begin to feel smoother. Keep the dough covered at about 75-78°F (24-26°C).

4. Build strength during bulk fermentation. For the first 2 hours, complete four sets of folds at 30-minute intervals. To fold, lift one side of the dough until it resists, fold it over the center, then turn the bowl and repeat three more times. After the final set, leave the dough undisturbed until it has risen by about 50-75 percent, usually another 2-4 hours.

Pro Tip: Use a straight-sided container and mark the starting level with tape. A dough temperature of 78°F ferments much faster than one at 68°F, so volume is a better guide than a fixed time.

5. Check the dough before shaping. It should look slightly domed, show bubbles along the sides, and wobble when the container is gently shaken. If it still spreads flat and feels dense, give it another 30 minutes. If it has doubled and looks fragile, shape it immediately to avoid over-fermentation.

6. Shape the loaf. Lightly flour the work surface and turn out the dough. Fold the top third down, fold the bottom third up, then bring the sides toward the center. Roll the dough into a loose round and let it rest for 20 minutes. Tighten the shape by dragging the dough toward you on the unfloured surface until the outer skin feels taut.

7. Proof overnight. Place the shaped dough seam-side up in a rice-flour-dusted proofing basket. Cover and refrigerate for 8-12 hours at about 39°F (4°C). The cold proof develops flavor and makes the dough easier to score cleanly. It should expand slightly but not necessarily double.

8. Preheat and score. Place a Dutch oven with its lid in the oven and preheat to 475°F (245°C) for at least 45 minutes. Turn the cold dough onto parchment. Hold a razor at a shallow angle and make one confident slash about ½ inch deep, running from one side of the round toward the center. Add a small second cut if desired, but avoid repeated sawing.

9. Bake and cool. Lower the dough into the hot Dutch oven, cover, and bake at 475°F for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, reduce the temperature to 450°F (232°C), and bake 20-25 minutes more, until the crust is dark golden brown and the internal temperature is about 205-210°F (96-99°C). Cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing. The crumb is still setting while hot, so cutting early can make it gummy.

Chef Notes & Variations

Store the completely cooled loaf in a paper bag or wrapped in a clean kitchen towel for up to 2 days. For longer storage, slice it, seal the slices well, and freeze for up to 2 months; toast directly from frozen. Serve thick slices with salted butter, sharp cheese, soup, or olive oil. For the most open crumb, avoid pressing the dough flat during shaping and use a sharp razor for one clean score.

Swap It: Replace up to 100 g of the bread flour with whole-wheat flour for a nuttier loaf. Add 10-20 g extra water only if the dough feels firm, since whole-wheat flour absorbs more liquid. The main variation is to add 60 g toasted walnuts and 40 g dried cranberries during the second fold; keep the fermentation cues the same and shape gently. Ask yourself before baking: has the dough gained strength, expanded enough, and retained visible bubbles? Those three checks matter more than an exact timetable.

Quick Version

Feed starter until doubled; mix starter, water, flour, and salt; rest 30 minutes, then fold four times over 2 hours. Bulk-ferment to 50-75% growth, shape, cold-proof 8-12 hours, score, and bake covered at 475°F for 20 minutes, then uncovered at 450°F for 20-25 minutes; cool 1 hour.

End of chapter one. 7 more chapters in the full book.