Rustic bread

I can consider this bread as my first artisan bread. I have tried a different version before but this was probably the best (until now). And because good bread comes with a bit of effort, the recipe and directions are mentioned below.


Ingredients:

Liquid sourdough:

• 180g bread flour
• 45g whole wheat flour
• 225g water
• 32g sourdough starter

Final formula:

•  225g bread flour
• 80g water
• 9g salt
• 10g dried yeast
• the liquid sourdough mentioned above

Directions:

1. Prepare the liquid sourdough by evening: pour the sourdough starter into a bowl, add water and mix. Add white flour (180g)  and the whole wheat one and mix. Cover the bowl and let it at room temperature for around 12 hours. In the morning there should be bubbles on the surface.
2. The next day, in the bowl of a standing mixer, pour the liquid sourdough and add flour (225g) and water.
3. Start the mixer for 1-2 minutes until the ingredients are combined.
4. Wait 30 minutes (a phase called autolyse) for the gluten to start forming.
5. Add salt and yeast and restart the mixer for 7-8.
6. Flour a rectangular big bowl and put the dough in it. Cover with a towel and put it in the warmest place in the house.
7. After 30 minutes, stretch and fold the dough. Cover back with the towel.
8. After another 30 minutes repeat the stretch and fold and cover back.
9. Lightly spray with water a banneton and flour it well. 
10. After another 30 minutes, do another stretch and fold and put the dough in the banneton. Cover with a towel and let it rise for 1h-1h30' in a warm place.
11. Preheat the oven at 250ºC with the oven stone in it. It takes around 30-40 min to heat well. Under the stone put a metal pan to heat as well.
12. Bring 300ml water to boil that will be poured in the pan immediately after the bread.
13. When the bread is raised, powder with flour a pizza palette and turn the dough on it.
14. Then, let it slip on the heated stone in the oven.
15. Pour the boiling water in the pan under. Be careful with the steam because is very hot. Close the oven quickly.
16. Bake the bread for 40 minutes at 230ºC.
17. Take the bread out and let it cool on a rack.

 I took this recipe with small changes from a site that I have found searching for another thing but I liked it so much that I started to study how to make bread with taste. Thank you Codruta for all the precious details you give on your site. She explains more than me even why all these steps are necessary, so I recommend reading here.