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1
Combine the flour, water, yeast, and sourdough, if using, in a bowl, mixing together with a spatula or your hand moistened with water for about 1 minute.
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2
After the ingredients are combined, make a small indentation on the top of the dough.
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3
Add the salt to the small well you've just made in the dough, and about 1 tablespoon of water to cover it, but don't mix it in yet.
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4
Cover the bowl and let the dough sit for 20 minutes.
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5
Moisten your hands slightly and use the dough scraper to loosen the dough from the bowl.
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6
Rather than knead the dough, you're going to stretch and fold it in the bowl.
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7
Working from the edges of the dough, pull the dough out to stretch it and then fold it over toward the center.
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8
You can also squeeze the dough with your fingers to help incorporate the salt.
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9
If your hands begin to stick to the dough, moisten them again with water.
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10
Work around the dough and stretch and fold it 12 times.
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11
This action should take about 1 minute in total.
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12
Flip the dough over so the folds are underneath and the smooth side is on top.
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13
Cover the bowl and let the dough sit for another 20 minutes.
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14
Do the stretch-and-fold action for one more round.
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15
By now you'll notice that the salt is incorporated and the gluten offers noticeable tension.
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16
After folding about 12 times, turn the dough over again, cover the bowl, and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
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17
Do the stretch-and-fold action 2 more times, at 20-minute intervals.
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18
In the final round, the dough should feel very elastic and should be glistening.
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19
If it isn't, add a few more stretch-and-fold actions but be careful not to rip the dough.
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20
Turn the dough over so the smooth side is face up.
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21
Cover the bowl and let it sit for 6 to 7 hours.
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22
The goal here is for the dough to rise until it has at least tripled in size, but has not collapsed in on itself.
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23
By the end of the rise, you might see big air bubbles on the top of the dough.
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24
Preheat the oven to 470 degrees F (245 degrees C), with your baking stone on the middle rack, 60 minutes before baking.
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25
In the lower part of the oven, or on the bottom, place a rimmed baking sheet that can hold half a cup of water.
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26
Place a piece of parchment paper roughly the size of your baking stone on an overturned and lightly floured baking sheet or a cutting board.
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27
Dust the parchment lightly with a 50/50 mixture of white flour and semolina flour or just white flour and set it aside.
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28
Flour a two-foot-square area of your counter generously with the flour/semolina mix or white flour.
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29
Dust the top of the dough lightly with flour.
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30
Using a plastic dough scraper, gently loosen the dough from the bowl and pour it out onto the counter, being careful to keep it in one piece.
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31
The outer, smooth surface will have landed on the floured surface, becoming the bottom of the dough.
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32
The top of the dough will be sticky.
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33
Dust it lightly with flour.
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34
Flour your hands and gently make a rectangle that's about 3/4 to 1 inch thick and about 10 by 16-inches, with the long side on the east-west axis, or parallel to the edge of the counter.
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35
Don't fuss over it to make it perfect or you'll compress the dough, losing the open structure of the air holes.
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36
Sprinkle a thick line of flour across the middle of the dough, moving east-west, marking where you will divide the rectangle in half lengthwise.
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37
Then sprinkle another two lines of flour through each of those portions, again moving east-west.
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38
You will cut the dough along the three lines, making four long loaves.
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39
Using a dowel, the wooden handle of a kitchen spoon, or a chopstick, press on the floured line so the pieces separate.
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40
A thick, dull tool works well because it joins the dough together at the seam.
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41
If the tool does not fully cut through the dough, use your dough scraper to finish cutting the pieces.
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42
Separate the pieces so they are not touching each other and cover them with a light towel.
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43
This second fermentation will take about 20 minutes.
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44
When the loaves are ready, they will be very light and spring back within one second when you press your finger very lightly into the dough.
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45
Pour 1/2 cup water into a measuring cup.
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46
Sprinkle the loaves lightly with semolina/flour.
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47
Loosen two loaves gently with the dough scraper.
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48
If you put enough flour on the counter it won't take much effort.
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49
Place your hands under the dough at either end of one loaf, then turn it upside down onto the floured parchment paper.
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50
To prevent the dough from sagging in the middle while you move the loaf, you can move your two hands closer together, slightly crimping the loaf lengthwise.
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51
The floured underside is now facing up.
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52
Do this with the second loaf, too.
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53
(If your baking stone is big enough, you might be able to place all four loaves on the parchment paper and bake them at once.)
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54
Now, here's the fun part.
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55
Lightly grab either end of the dough and gently stretch out the loaf to just under the size of your baking stone.
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56
If it resists, don't pull it-the dough will rip.
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57
Do the same with the second loaf.
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58
You can straighten out the edges by gently repositioning the loaf with your dough scraper, but don't fuss too much.
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59
Open the oven and slide the parchment paper off the cutting board or baking sheet and onto the baking stone.
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60
The loaves will bake on the parchment paper the entire time.
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61
Close the oven.
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62
Take the 1/2 cup water and pour it onto the baking sheet, being careful not to get burned by the steam.
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63
Shut the oven door.
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64
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes.
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65
Do not open the oven until at least 18 minutes into the bake.
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66
Bake until dark brown.
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67
Using a peel, or oven mitts, remove the loaves to a cooling rack, and let them stand for at least 20 minutes before eating.
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68
Repeat the baking method with the second two loaves.
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69
These loaves are best eaten within four hours.
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70
If you do not eat all the bread, the loaves can be frozen in a plastic bag.
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71
When you're ready to eat a loaf, remove it from the freezer until it defrosts and bake it for 5 minutes in a 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) oven to crisp up the crust.
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72
Once reheated, it will go stale relatively quickly.
