-
1
Put the prepared starter, flour, and water into the bowl of your stand mixer. (You can also do this by hand-it doesn't require a lot of kneading.) If you're using a stand mixer, knead with the dough hook until the mixture becomes elastic, just a few minutes, then add the salt and oil and knead until combined. Turn dough out onto your work surface and knead by hand until the mixture is elastic.
-
2
You have your choice of baking today or tomorrow. If you want to give this an overnight rest, drizzle the dough with olive oil and put it into a plastic bag. Let it rest in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove from the refrigerator, give it a little massage in the bag, and let it come up to room temperature, about 2 hours, then continue with step 4.
-
3
To bake today, form the dough into a ball, drizzle with olive oil, and place it into a bowl to rise until doubled, 2-3 hours.
-
4
Remove the dough from the bowl (or plastic bag) and gently form it into your desired shape. Place it seam-side down on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled, 1-2 hours. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-
5
When the loaf has fully risen, slash the top and bake at 350 degrees until the crust is golden, about 40 minutes. Let it cool completely on a rack before slicing.
