Course: Main
Servings: 1 loaf
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• Strong white bread flour - 425 grams
• Sachet fast action yeast - 1 7 gram
• Salt - 10 grams
• White sourdough starter - 150 grams
• Cold water - 300 grams
• Semolina - (for dusting)

Instructions:

1. Mix together the flour, yeast and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Mix the sourdough starter with the cold water and combine with the dry ingredients to form a wet dough. Rest for 30-60 minutes.
3. Tip out the dough and knead for 10-15 minutes until it passes the windowpane test.
4. Put the dough into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge overnight.
5. In the morning, shape the dough into a ball and put in a proving basket dusted liberally with semolina flour. Leave to prove for 2-3 hours as the dough will be cold.
6. About 30 minutes before you're ready to bake, place a cast iron pot in the oven at Gas Mark 9 (240 C).
7. When the dough has nearly doubled in size, tip it onto a sheet of greaseproof paper dusted with semolina flour. Slash your bread with a serrated knife in a square shape.
8. Carefully take the hot cast iron pot out of the oven and lift the bread from the greaseproof paper and place in the pot.
9. Place the lid on and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for a further 30-35 minutes.

Recipe adapted from James Morton's advanced white bread recipe in his book Brilliant Bread.