Step 1

Combine 385g of the water (i.e. all but 1 tablespoon of the water) and all of the sugar in a large bowl. Mix to combine.

Step 2

Add the bread flour and mix to form a lumpy dough. Cover (I like to use a bin bag placed over the bowl and clipped at the side, or a shower cap) and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Step 3

After 30 minutes, spread the starter over the dough in the bowl. Dimple it in and mix the dough as well as you can in the bowl. I find using my hand, shaped like a claw, with a kind of scooping motion towards the edge of the bowl helpful for this. Once mixed, sprinkle the salt and the reserved 15g (1 tbsp) of water over and mix this in in a similar fashion.

Step 4

Cover and leave at room temperature for another 4 hours until doubled in size and bubbly (this timing will depend on the weather; my room temp. is generally 22-24°C. Better to go by the increase in volume rather than the suggested time).

Step 5

Cover and leave for another 30 minutes at room temperature. After 30 minutes wet your hands and perform a set of coil folds on the dough: coil folding (see video above the recipe card for help) is done by gently lifting the dough up with both (wet) hands cupped underneath, then letting the 'North' edge fold under the dough as you place it back into the bowl. Rotate the bowl 180 degrees so the 'South' edge is now facing 'north'. Lift the dough up again in the same way and let the 'south' edge fold under the dough as you place it back down. Rotate the bowl 90-degrees and then repeat the lifting & lowering for the 'west' and 'east' edges of the dough. This is one 'set' of coil folds.

Step 6

Cover the dough and leave for another 3.5 hours, performing a set of coil folds every 30 minutes, and covering the dough each time while it rests. The first few coil folds you perform you can be a bit more firm with the dough but as you progress to the later coil folds, try to be gentler so as not to disturb the air in the dough too much.

Step 7

Straight after your final coil fold, move onto the next step.

Step 8

Drizzle half of the olive oil into a 9 x 13-inch baking tray or roasting dish (I prefer one with high sides but a rimmed baking sheet works). Gently tip the bowl over the tray and coax the dough out as carefully as possible - it should mostly fall out from its own weight. Oil your hands and flip the dough over so that both sides are now covered with a light layer of oil. Use wetted fingertips to very very gently coax the dough into a slight oval shape, trying not to deflate the dough or stretch it too much. It will spread out more as it rises so don't worry about making it reach the edges of the tray.

Step 9

Leave uncovered in a warm place for 2-5 hours until very puffy - almost doubled in volume - and bubbly. Again this will depend on the temp of your room so will be quicker in warmer months.

Step 10

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 220°C fan (430°F) / 240°C non-fan (460°F).

Step 11

Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the dough and use your fingertips to press down into the dough all over, making deep dimples for the oil to pool in. Sprinkle with some flakey salt, add any other toppings like rosemary sprigs, and bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through the baking time to ensure an even bake. It should be golden all over with some more well-browned patches.

Step 12

Chill the dough overnight (12-16 hours). 1 to 2 hours before you want to bake it, remove from the fridge and leave in a warm place to rise for a bit. I like to put it in the oven with the light turned on and a small bowl of boiling water at the bottom of the oven - this makes a warm, steamy environment perfect for the dough to rise in without drying out.

Step 13

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 220°C fan (430°F) / 240°C non-fan (460°F).

Step 14

Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the dough and use your fingertips to press down into the dough all over, making deep dimples for the oil to pool in. Sprinkle with some flakey salt, add any other toppings like rosemary sprigs, and bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through the baking time to ensure an even bake. It should be golden all over with some more well-browned patches.

Step 15

Tip: Allow to cool before removing from the tray, slicing and eating. If you find the dough is stuck to your tray, use a metal spatula or offset cake spatula to coax it away from the tray (It should be quite a flexible loaf so don't worry if it bends a bit as you do this).