Step 1

Make the dough: Mix the water, active-dry yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Allow the mixture to bloom until it smells yeasty and looks foamy, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 2

Fold in the sourdough discard, dry ingredients and rosemary until no traces of dry flour remain.

Step 3

Knead the oil into the dough one tablespoon at a time, waiting until the dough absorbs the oil completely before adding more. The dough will become gradually less greasy as the oil soaks in.

Step 4

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Step 5

Stretch and fold: After the rest period, complete 3 sets of stretch and folds in 15-minute intervals. To complete a stretch and fold, with the dough inside your bowl, pick up the side of the dough closest to you using your fingertips. Stretch the dough out as much as you can without it tearing and fold it over itself. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 3 more times. This is one set.

Step 6

First rise: Let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in volume. The dough should double in volume and appear bubbly, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 7

Prep: Preheat the oven to 475 F with a Dutch oven inside.

Step 8

Shape: Coat a banneton with rice flour (see note*). Shape the dough into a batard or a boule (see note*). To shape a batard, turn the proofed dough on a clean work surface. Flatten the dough out into a rectangle. Fold the side closest to you towards the center and the top of the dough over the bottom flap. Fold the sides over each other Flip the dough and round it into a boule or roll it into a batard. Place the dough into a prepared banneton with the seam side up.

Step 9

Second rise: Cover the banneton with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until puffy and well risen, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Step 10

Score: Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper with the seam-side down. Score the dough. Place the dough with the parchment paper inside the hot Dutch oven.

Step 11

Bake: Bake the dough covered for 25 minutes and uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes or until the loaf measures at least 190F when probed with an instant-read thermometer and reaches your desired level of brownness

Step 12

Enjoy: Transfer the baked loaf to a cooling rack. Let the bread cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Step 13

Store: This bread tastes the best the day it is baked, but will store well for up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature.