Feed Your Starter: The evening before baking, feed your sourdough starter with equal parts water and flour. Let it sit at room temperature overnight to ensure it's active and bubbly.

Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix water and sourdough starter.

Add flour and salt to the mixture. Mix until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix.

Rest the Dough: Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour to absorb the liquids.

Stretch and Fold: Wet your hands. Perform 8-10 stretch-and-fold motions (gently pulling one side of the dough and folding it over). Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes. Repeat this process for 3-5 rounds, depending on time.

Bulk Fermentation: After the final stretch-and-fold, cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it ferment at room temperature for 6-8 hours, or until it nearly doubles in size.

When the dough is ready, flour a clean surface and gently turn out your dough. Shape it by folding the edges toward the center and rolling it gently. Take a banneton (proofing basket) or a bowl lined with a kitchen towel, and dust it heavily with flour. Place the dough seam-side up in the basket. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to proof overnight for 12 to 24 hours.

Bake the Bread: preheat your oven to 230°C (450°F) with a Dutch oven inside. Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Use a sharp knife or bread lame to score the top of the dough (a deep slash helps it expand in the oven). Transfer the dough (with parchment paper) into the hot Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, lower the temperature to 200°C (400°F) and bake for another 15–20 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

Cool and Slice: Once the bread is done, take it out of the dutch oven and let it cool completely for 1-2 hours before cutting. This cooling time is important! Don’t slice it right away, it helps the bread set properly.