With wet hands, stretch and fold the dough, rotating the bowl 4 times total.
Cover and sit for 30 minutes.
Continue the stretch and folds, followed by a 30 minute rest for a total of 5 times. (Total time - 2 hours).
Cover and allow the dough to prove at room temperature. The amount of time will depend on how warm your kitchen is. This stage may take 1 hour, it may take 6 hours. You want your dough size to increase by around 30% - not to double.
At the end of this step, your dough should look light, slightly puffy and glossy. You may see bubbles, this is a good sign.
Tip the dough onto a well floured surface and shape. Place into a bowl lined with baking paper/non stick parchment paper or a banneton basket and place in refrigerator overnight, covered.
In the morning, remove the dough and place on bench.
Heat a cast iron dutch oven with the lid on at your hottest oven temperature. I use a fan forced oven at a temperature of 240 degrees celsius. I place the dutch oven in the middle of the oven.
After 30 minutes, remove the dutch oven and take off the lid. Careful, it's very hot!
Slash the dough using a knife or lame. I do this before it goes near the dutch oven, to avoid the possibility of burning myself. Use the baking paper as a kind of sling to move the dough to the dutch oven.
Turn the oven down to 220 degrees.
Place the lid back on and put the dutch oven back in the oven for 20 minutes of covered baking.
Remove the lid and continue to bake uncovered for another 25 minutes.
Take the dutch oven out and again, use the baking paper to pick up the loaf and place it on a cooling rack, removing the baking paper as you do.
Allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing.
