Recipe Overview

Sieve the flour into a bowl and add the salt

Make a well in the center and add in the water and starter and mix to a firm dough for around 10 minutes

Place the dough in a floured bowl, cover with plastic film and allow to rise until it fills the bowl. This can take 12 to 24 hours depending on the starter

Once the dough has risen sufficiently, knock it back and knead for a few minutes

Next roll it up into a large ball and place in a casserole dish, score the top with an x, place the lid on the casserole dish and allow dough to triple in size for 4 to 8 hours. No need for it to rise so much it touches the casserole lid

Preheat the oven 230c/450f

Place the casserole dish with the dough in the oven and bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. Following this bake for approx 10 minutes with the lid off and finally remove from the casserole dish and bake for a further 5 to 10 minutes or as necessary until you hear a hollow sound when you tap the bottom of the bread