Step 1

Mix – 9:00 a.m.Add the flour, water, salt, and ripe sourdough starter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Mix on low speed (STIR on a KitchenAid) for 1 to 2 minutes until the ingredients come together, no dry bits remain, and the sides of the bowl are clean. Next, mix on medium speed (2 on a KitchenAid) for 4 to 5 minutes until the dough smooths and begins to cling slightly to the hook. Let the dough rest in the bowl for 10 minutes. Return the mixer to medium speed and mix for 3 to 4 minutes until the dough gains more strength and clings again to the dough hook. Reduce the mixer speed to low speed and slowly stream in the Water 2, adding it only if the dough is cohesive after each addition (if the dough gets sloppy, overly wet, or breaks apart, omit the remainder of the water). Then, with the mixer still running, slowly stream in the olive oil. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Once all of the oil is added, about 3 minutes later, the dough will be in a cohesive ball in the mixing bowl with the sides clean. Transfer the dough to a bulk fermentation container and cover.

Step 2

Bulk Fermentation – 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (3 hours)At a warm room temperature of 74-76°F (23-24°C), bulk fermentation should take about 3 hours. Give the dough a single set of stretches and folds during this time. At the same time, we’ll incorporate the olives into the dough. Before you give your dough its first set of stretches and folds, spread about 1/4 of the olives over the top of the dough (see below). Then, grab one side of the dough and stretch it to the other. Next, spread another 1/4 of the olives to the new top. Rotate the bowl 180° and perform another stretch and fold. Spread on another 1/4 of the olives, rotate the bowl 90°, and do another stretch and fold. Finally, spread on the last of the olives, turn the bowl 180°, and do one last stretch and fold. Cover and let rest the remainder of bulk fermentation.

Step 3

Divide and Preshape – 12:30 p.m.Lightly flour the top of the dough in the bulk fermentation container, then scrape it out to an un-floured work surface. Divide into six 300g pieces (it’s okay if the last piece is a little below 300g) and preshape the dough into gentle rounds. Let the preshaped dough rest for 30 minutes, covered with a large piece of reusable plastic or slightly damp kitchen towel.

Step 4

Shape – 1:00 p.m.Prepare a board or space on your work surface with a couche (baker’s linen) or a large kitchen towel. You’ll place the shaped filoncini on top of the cloth in little channels designed to hold the dough (more on this in a moment). For each piece of dough, lightly flour the top of a relaxed round and your work surface. Using a bench scraper, pick up and flip over the floured round. Fold the top of the circle down to the middle. Flip the piece of dough 180° and fold the new top of the circle down to the middle. Using both hands, fold the dough down in successive motions to make a round. Finally, use both hands to evenly roll the tube to about 6-inches. Place it in the flour-dusted channel on the couche, seam side up. Then, using both hands at the edges, pick up and drag a little of the couche toward the dough (like making a pleat in the couche) to form a matching wall of the channel to hold the dough while it’s proofing. Once the new wall is formed, it will look like the dough is nestled between two straight walls. Repeat for all pieces.

Step 5

Proof – 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.Proof the shaped filoncini dough for about 1 1/2 hours at warm room temperature, 74-76°F (23-24°C).

Step 6

Twist and Bake – 3:00 p.m. (preheat oven at 2:00 p.m.)Thirty minutes before you want to bake, preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) with a baking stone or baking steel in the bottom third of the oven. Prepare a pizza peel with parchment paper sized to match your baking surface. Gently transfer three pieces of dough from the couche to the parchment. Place the remaining dough in the fridge, covered. Twist each piece by holding the dough in a “C” shape, twisting from center to edges. Transfer the dough to the oven using the parchment, steam, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove steaming pans and bake for another 20-25 minutes until golden brown, monitoring the last 10 minutes. Cool on a rack and repeat with the remaining dough.