Assuming that you have a nice little sourdough starter living with you, here is my recipe and method which I have perfected (I think) over the last month or so…

Ingredients:

500g white bread (strong) flour

250g (not 250ml) cold water

200g active starter

10g salt

Method:

If you keep your starter in the fridge, take him out and let him warm up for a day and then feed him in the evening before you go to bed. He needs to be nice and bubbly and active for the morning.

In the morning while you are making your first cup of tea, mix together in a large bowl the flour, water and starter.

Cover with a wet tea towel  and leave for an hour. This is autolyse. The mix will be ‘shaggy’.

Tip the mix on to your worktop, which should be very lightly floured. Add in your 10g of salt at this point and knead well for five minutes. Place into a very lightly oiled bowl which should be either glass or ceramic. Cover with clingfilm and a tea towel and place into the airing cupboard or a warm worktop for 6 to 8 hours. This is the bulk fermentation process and the dough should roughly double in size. During this time, you can visit your dough two or three times and perform four stretch and folds… This is where you pull the dough out and fold it back on its self, turn 90° then do the same again.

Or you can leave it all day while you are at work for instance… When you return, tip the dough out onto your worktop again, this time it should not be floured.

Knead gently and lovingly for 2 to 3 minutes then perform at least half a dozen stretch and folds. Shape into a round then place directly into your Dutch oven which should have slight dusting of polenta underneath. I use a terracotta roaster with a lid.

Leave to prove a second time for 2 to 3 hours, the dough will again double in size in that time. I usually leave him on the worktop in the kitchen.

When you are ready to bake, lightly dust the top with flour and score once ir twice with a sharp knife or lame.

Ensure your oven is preheated as hot as it will go, mine is 220°. Place into the oven on the bottom shelf with the lid on your pot for 30 minutes. After this time, remove and take off the lid. Return to the oven for another half an hour.

When your full hour is up, remove from the oven carefully using oven gloves and tip out of the pot and onto a cooling rack.

Allowed to cool for as long as you can, we usually have a cheeky slice with some cheese and a glass of wine in the evening when it’s super fresh, it is absolutely perfect for sandwiches the next day and even the day after.

The day after that, it is perfect for toast or bruschetta.

After this, if there is any left, I make it into croutons by chopping into cubes and baking on in a low oven for around 20 minutes. These will keep in a large glass Kilner jar and are fabulous in salads!

Good luck and enjoy! Never ever ever eat shop bought plastic crap again!