This is easily my favourite bread. It is tangy, with complex flavours and requires you to chew.

This recipe builds flavour over time, but the extra time in the fridge reduces the amount of work you need to do to develop the dough.

Why it works

A number of techniques are employed to build strength and therefore rise in the finished loaf, including:

• A small levain with minimal starter helps build the depth of flavour.
• A 45-minute fermentolyse assists the flour in hydrating fully and prevents the gluten from tightening too early.
• A long cold bulk fermentation takes most of the work involved in building strength in the dough.

A tip: if you are running short on time, cut out the overnight levain but keep the 48 cold bulk ferment.

Detailed guide

Building the levain

Building the levain (preferment) is easy: simply mix the starter, flour and water together in a bowl or tupperware container. Cover and let sit overnight.

Fermentolyse

Where a traditional autolyse mixes only flour and water, this recipe uses a fermentolyse: the levain and ripe starter are added to the flour and water from the beginning all in the same container you made the levain in. I got thoroughly sick of washing bowls and this works just as well.,

Combine all the flour, all but 10g of the water, the levain, and the ripe starter directly in your container — the same one you’ll use for the bulk fermentation. There’s no need for a separate mixing bowl: mix, fold, ferment, and refrigerate all in one vessel, with one lid. Mix until no dry flour remains, then leave to rest for 45 minutes.

Stretch and fold

Stretching and folding develops the gluten and builds the structural integrity of the dough. At 77% hydration with a high levain percentage, this dough is often quite loose. I tend to use some slapping to tighten up the dough with each fold but generally don’t worry too much – the long bulk ferment will help develop the dough after this process.

Beginning 20 minutes after incorporating the salt, perform four sets of stretch and folds spaced 45 minutes apart. With wet hands, stretch the dough upwards and fold it towards yourself. Work around the dough in each cardinal direction — this is one set. At the end of each step ‘throw’ it into the bowl.

The final fold should be a coil fold: lift the dough in the middle and let the ends tuck underneath. This creates vertical tension before the cold bulk fermentation.

Bakers’ percentages and total weights