Rustic bread

Instructions

1. Mix the pre-ferment together and leave to ferment for 4-24 hours.
2. When the pre-ferment has fermented sufficiently, mix it with the remaining dough ingredients and knead briefly. The aim here is to form a homogeneous mass, not to produce gluten. Leave to ferment for 30 minutes.
3. Fold the dough approx. 10 times and leave to proof for a further 30 minutes. Very wet hands and arms are recommended.
4. Fold the dough again approx. 10 times and leave to proof for a further 60 minutes.
5. Flour the work surface and dough. Pull the dough into a ball one last time and roll. Leave to proof in a bowl lined with a floured kitchen towel for approx. 30-45 minutes. Longer than usual proofing time is useful for a large loaf. Meanwhile, preheat the oven with the cast iron pan to 260°C top/bottom heat.
6. Place the dough in the cast iron pot and cut into it. Scissors can be helpful here. Bake in the oven for 18 minutes with the lid on.
7. Remove the lid after 18 minutes and reduce the oven temperature to 230°C. Finish baking until a deep dark brown color. This should take about 30-40 minutes.