Autolyse - Premixing The DoughWeigh out your sourdough starter and water into a large mixing bowl.Mix the water and starter together briefly. Then add your flour and salt and mix whole lot together to form a shaggy dough. Cover your bowl with an elastic food cover or plastic wrap and let it sit for around 1 hour. This process is called the "autolyse" and allows your flour to soak in all the water and become hydrated.

Forming Up The DoughAfter the dough has been through autolyse you need to bring it together into a ball. Work your way around the bowl, grabbing the dough from the outside, stretching it up and over itself, into the centre, until a smooth ball is formed. You shouldn't need more than about 20-25 stretches to form the ball.You'll notice that the dough is fully hydrated after soaking all the water up. It will be fairly sticky but as you bring it into a ball, it will become smoother and shinier.Once the dough has formed into a smooth ball, pop the cover back on and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Stretch & Fold - Creating StructureOver the next few hours you need to create some structure for your dough by "stretching and folding". Aim to do around 4-6 sets of stretches and folds. For each set, stretch the dough up and over itself 4 times. Leave around 15 minutes in between each set. Again you do not have to be exact with time, but you need to do at least 4 sets over 2 hours.This is high hydration sourdough so the dough will more slack than you're used to (if you've been making sourdough bread at a lower hydration).

Bulk FermentOnce you've finished your stretch and folds, cover the dough with a plastic cover and allow it to ferment at room temperature until it doubles. Remember this is a high hydration dough, so it will not take as long as you might normally be familiar with. You can find more information on understanding when bulk fermentation is finished here.

Shaping The DoughOnce your dough has finished its first ferment, it's time to shape it into either a boule or a batard. I find it easier to shape higher hydration dough into a batard, but you should do whatever you're comfortable with.Use a dough scraper to gently ease the dough out of the bowl (I highly recommend using a dough scraper for high hydration sourdough bread). You want it to land upside down on your counter so that the smooth top of the dough is on the countertop and the sticky underside is facing up. This will make it easier to shape.You can see a video of me shaping a sourdough batard here.You will need a proofing basket or container to put your dough into. Whatever you're using needs to be liberally floured with rice flour or semolina.

Placing Into A Proofing ContainerOnce the dough is shaped into a batard, place it into your proofing basket or container smooth side down, so your seam is on the top.Lift your dough around the edges to pop a little more rice flour if you feel it needs it. Just try to handle the dough as little as possible and be really gentle as you really want to preserve all the gases and air bubbles that have formed during your bulk ferment.

Cold Ferment (optional)Now the dough is in its "shaping container" cover it loosely with a plastic bag and place into the fridge. Try to leave it in the fridge for a minimum 5 hours. Ideally, you want to leave it around 12 to 24 hours for full flavor.

Preparing to BakeOnce you're ready to bake your sourdough, you'll need to preheat your oven to 230C/450F. Place your Dutch Oven into the oven when you turn it on so it gets hot. Try to preheat for around 1 hour to ensure your oven is super hot - but you know your oven so just adjust this time if you need to.Leave your dough in the fridge (or counter) until the very last minute - placing a cold dough into a hot oven will give you a great "spring".When your oven is at temperature, take your sourdough out of the fridge. Gently place it onto a piece of parchment paper or silicone sling if using. Gently score your bread with a clean razor blade or knife. At minimum a large cross is sufficient, but you can get as artistic as you like. You can find my full guide on how to score sourdough bread here.Carefully take your dutch oven out of the oven. Place the sourdough into the pot using the silicone sling or parchment paper as a handle. Put the lid on and place into the hot oven. BAKE TIME:40 Minutes with the lid on at 230C/450F plus10-15 Minutes with the lid off at 210C/410F

Finishing The BakeWhen you remove your dough from the oven, carefully remove it from the oven as soon as possible and place on a wire rack to cool.