Step 1

Weigh out starter into a large bowl.

Step 2

Add water and mix until it turns into cloudy murky water.

Step 3

Add Milk, Eggs, Butter, and Honey and mix. (I mix them together and warm them all to about 80 degrees in my microwave)

Step 4

Add flour and mix with your hands(or a dough spatula) until the dough comes together.

Step 5

Rest the dough without stretching for 30 to 60 minutes:

Step 6

Add salt, work in with wet hands using a pinching action. Drive the salt into the dough with your fingers rather than try to mix it in or roll it.

Step 7

Cover. Rest 30 minutes.

Step 8

Pull the dough gently but firmly from the back of the bowl up and over to the front. Turn the bowl 1/4 Turn and repeat. Do this until you have stretched the dough and folded it over on all four sides.

Step 9

Rest the dough covered, 30 minutes at room temperature(about 70 degrees). (I set a timer)

Step 10

Repeat the stretch and fold process four times 30 minutes apart. You are building the gluten in the dough in this stage. As you repeat the stretch and folds the dough will change from a gloppy mess to an elastic resilient dough.

Step 11

Let the dough sit and bulk ferment (raise) for 1 hour at room temperature.

Step 12

Put the bowl into A plastic(grocery) bag and set in the refrigerator to finish cold fermentation for 24 hours. ***see notes at page bottom

Step 13

Remove Dough from the refrigerator and turn out onto a floured board.

Step 14

Divide (by weight for even size) into two dough balls. Gently shape into two rounds, cover and let rest until dough comes to room temperature and is pliable. 30 to 60 minutes.

Step 15

Shape and gently place into bannetons or pans (seam side up) to rise at room temperature until raised 20 to 30 percent.

Step 16

Chill in refrigerator before baking two hours to cold proof in the plastic bag again. (this helps get a higher oven spring).

Step 17

Preheat oven with Dutch oven inside to 450˚F for at least 30 minutes.

Step 18

Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to accommodate your loaf. You'll use the paper as handles to lower your proofed loaf down into the very hot Dutch oven.

Step 19

Take the risen dough out of the refrigerator .

Step 20

Place the parchment round over the basket and carefully flip the whole thing over and un-mold the dough.

Step 21

Using a pastry brush, dust the loaf to remove excess flour.

Step 22

Score.

Step 23

Spritz liberally with water (for a blistered, flour free crust) or omit the spritz for a rustic looking loaf

Step 24

Carefully lower your loaf into the preheated Dutch oven and place the lid on and set into the oven.

Step 25

Slide a sheet pan one rack below the Dutch oven to deflect excess heat from the bottom crust.

Step 26

Bake covered for 30 minutes at 450˚F. *(MY oven is so hot I bake the bread completely covered for 40 minutes on convection heat at 450 degrees and it comes out as pictured. Adjust these directions to your own oven)

Step 27

After 30 minutes, remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Carefully remove the par-baked loaf from the Dutch oven using the parchment paper as handles.

Step 28

Slide loaf back into the oven directly on the center rack.

Step 29

Spritz oven with water bottle.

Step 30

Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until an internal temperature of 200˚F-205˚F is achieved.

Step 31

Remove from oven to a cooling rack.

Step 32

Let cool completely. To keep the soft crust store the loaf in a plastic bag at room temperature.

Step 33

Let the Dutch oven heat back up for a few minutes and start the process over again for the second loaf. Enjoy!

Step 34

Instead of forming for boules after bench rest roll the dough out and degass it.

Step 35

Now form the dough into loaves for two 9 x 4.5 x 5 bread pans.

Step 36

OIL your bread pans and lay the dough in so it just touches the sides of the pan and the ends.

Step 37

Allow to rise covered in the bread pans two to four hours until the dough is level with the top of your bread pans.

Step 38

Set the loaves covered in the fridge.

Step 39

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Step 40

Set a pan of water on the bottom shelf of your oven. (I use a broiler pan half full of water).

Step 41

When the pan is steaming and the oven is preheated SCORE the loaves and set the loaf pans on a baking stone (or baking sheet) in the middle of your oven.

Step 42

Bake 15 minutes then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and bake an additional 35 minutes.

Step 43

Check for doneness. Use a digital thermometer and push it into the end of your loaves to the center. It should read 210.

Step 44

Remove the loaves and let cool in the pans 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 45

Cut around the sides of your pan carefully to release the bread from the pan as needed.

Step 46

Cool on racks an hour until room temperature before cutting.