400 g - Strong Bread Flour
300g/300ml - Tepid water
1 1/2 teaspoons - Salt
1/2 teaspoon - Fast action yeast (not dried active)
Briefly mix the dry ingredients together and then add the water loosely bringing the mixture together to a rough ball and then cover with cling film. Leave for between 12 - 24 hrs and it should look something like this, wet, stringy and bubbly.
Flour surfaces and hands and then scrap from bowl and flour the top of the dough.
Pat down gently and then fold three or four ways as in the video below, form it into whatever shape suits your
cooking vessel, flour then cover with tea towel and leave to prove until it has at least doubled in size, this may take more or less than 2 hours.
Preheat the oven and dish (with lid on) for at least 30 minutes on MAX. The dish should be scalding, TAKE GREAT CARE and carefully place the dough in the oven dish and replace lid, depending on your oven try 30mins with lid on and 30 mins with lid off to begin with but you'll need to experiment.
( I also slashed mine to create expansion marks)
This one below was cooked for 40 mins with lid on and 20 mins with lid off (and reduced temperature) because I like a thick and deep caramelisation of crust.
Leave to rest until cool or overnight if you can resist.
Good luck, if you are not getting holes and crust it ain't hot enough !
