Experiments with Laminating Lean Dough

Step 1

Mix all of the ingredients together and let rest for about 30-45 minutes. (Time periods between gluten development manipulations are on the longer side due to low inoculation.)

Step 3

Scoop-mix the dough off the edges of the bowl and do a few coil folds. See this video for clarification if needed. Cover and let the dough rest 30-45 minutes.

Step 5

Clean and wet a large surface, such as a table or countertop. Scrape your dough out onto it, and gently pull the sides outward, grasping from underneath and going around and around the dough until you have a large thin sheet. Then fold it inward from as many sides as necessary until you have a neat blob. Return the dough to your bowl, cover it and let it rest another 30-45 minutes.

Step 7

Do two more rounds of coil folding again about 30-45 minutes apart, and then let the dough finish bulk fermenting until it is puffy, usually about 6-8 hours from mixing until the end of the bulk fermentation, depending on room temperature. See photos in the gallery for a sense of dough growth.

Step 9

Flour your counter and gently scrape your dough out onto it. Preshape the dough into a ball and let it rest 20-30 minutes.

Step 11

Flour your proofing basket. Shape your dough and place it in the floured basket.

Step 13

Proof your dough in the refrigerator 10-16 hours, or at room temperature 1-2 hours, or combine cold and warm proofing in countless ways. Preheat your oven to 500F 30 minutes before the end of the proof.

Step 15

Flip your dough into the hot baking vessel (or onto parchment paper first), score, cover the vessel, and put it in the oven.

Step 17

Bake at:

Step 18

500F for 15 minutes covered

Step 19

450F for 10 minutes covered (if using a cast iron baking vessel, I put a baking sheet on the same oven shelf directly under the dutch oven at this point)

Step 20

450F for 10 minutes uncovered

Step 22

The internal temperature should be around 205F. Let the bread cool before slicing.