Sourdough bread

Starter: mix a quarter cup each of flour, whole wheat flour and lukewarm water. Each day remove all but a quarter cup of starter and feed a quarter cup each of whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and lukewarm water; mix well. Fed for 30 days before baking.

Levain: mix half a cup each of starter, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and water. Cover with a loose cap and leave in a dry place (the turned-off oven) all day, about six or seven hours.

Autolyse: combine whole wheat flour, hot water and salt in a bowl, mix, and let the soaked flour sit.

Add one third cup of the risen levain and two and one third cups of white flour; mix by hand to a craggy, very sticky, very moist dough.

Wrap in plastic wrap and leave overnight, 12 to 15 hours, in the oven; it doubles in size.

Turn onto a floured surface, free it with a dough scraper, tuck the sides underneath and rotate it with the sides of the hands to shape.

Place in a lightly floured banneton, cover with plastic wrap and proof in the turned-off oven with a pan of boiling water on the bottom for moisture, two to three hours.

Finger dent test: the dough should bounce back slightly, but not completely.

Heat the cast iron Dutch oven in the oven to 500F.

First attempt: turn the dough out of the banneton into the hot Dutch oven; it stuck in the basket and the loaf baked flat and dense.

Second attempt: stretch and fold the dough from each side, flour the banneton heavily, turn the dough onto parchment paper and sprinkle flour on top.

Score the top with a knife so the steam escapes through the scores, and transfer to the Dutch oven.

Lower the oven to 450F (230C) and bake covered for 20 minutes.

Remove the lid and bake another 23 minutes until golden.