Prepare the levain: combine your levain ingredients (20g starter, 45g bread flour and 45g water) in a bowl and transfer to a tall jar or container to track its growth easily. It is ready to use when it has doubled in size (or just about), it may take about 4-6 hours depending on its strength and external temperatures. It will have some bubbles and the texture will be like soft melted marshmallows. Temperature note: If you’ve got cold temps, leave it somewhere a bit warmer (about 25C/75F). Autolyse: Combine the water and sourdough levain together in a large bowl. Then, add the bread flour and semolina flour and mix until no bits of dry flour remain. Cover your bowl (with a lid, wet towel, plastic wrap, etc.) and let that sit in a warm place (about (about 25C/75F) for 1 hour.
Add in Salt: After an hour, sprinkle the salt over the top of your loaf. Dimple and pinch to mix it in until it is all incorporated. Cover your bowl and set it for 30 minutes in a warm place (about 25C/75F).
Add oil: Slowly add in the extra virgin olive oil using the rubaud method, slap and fold, or a stand mixer. Mix for about 2 minutes, or until it is all incorporated. Once all of the oil is mixed into the dough, cover your bowl and set it for 30 minutes in a warm place (about 25C/75F).
Strengthen the dough: After 30 minutes, give the dough 1 set of stretch and folds. To do this, with wet hands grab one side of the dough and pull it gently to the other side. Rotate the bowl 180 degrees and do the same. Repeat another 180 degrees 2 more times until the dough is back around 360 degrees.
Lamination and ingredient add-in: This recipe uses lamination to include the ingredients (lemon zest, thyme, olives, and shredded cheese). See my guide to lamination with photos above the recipe.
Bulk Fermentation: Once all of the ingredients are included in the dough through lamination, place the dough back into the bowl and cover for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, perform 1 coil fold to help give your dough structure and help to further develop the gluten. Then, cover and let your dough sit until it is finished fermenting.
Notes: Fermentation starts when the levain is added to the dough. For this bread recipe, the dough usually ferments well in 5 hours of fermentation with a consistent dough temperature of 78F/26C. I measure with a dough thermometer, however if you don’t have one, you can place the dough in a larger straight-sided vessel after the ingredients have been included. When the dough rises about 25% of its initial size, it should be done.
Pre-shape: Pre-shaping helps to give your dough even more structure and a bit of tension. If I am making just one loaf, my preferred method is to give the dough one last coil fold in the bowl and let it sit again covered for about 20 minutes. You can also do this on the counter. Wet the counter with a spray bottle or just drop water down. Turn it out of the bowl onto the counter and fold the outside into the middle and form it into a ball.
Final Shape: Dry off your counter space and sprinkle a bit of flour down to prevent sticking. Fold your dough and place in your banneton. Here you have two options, you can leave it to proof or you can let it sit and proof in the refrigerator to let the flavors develop even more.
Note: leaving it in the fridge also makes it easier to score and helps it to have more oven spring. If you choose to leave it in the fridge, you can leave it anywhere from 2 to 48 hours.
Bake: Preheat the oven 30 minutes, with the dutch oven inside, at 250C. Once the oven is hot enough, take the dough out of the fridge, turn it out onto parchment paper and give the dough a slice on the top (score) and place it in the dutch oven. Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on, then take the lid off to release the steam and get your crust crispy for 15 minutes and reduce the temp to 225C. Then take it out of the dutch oven, and place it alone on the rack for 15 minutes at 180C.The dough is finished cooking when the internal temperature reaches 95C/190-200F. Important: After taking it out of the oven, make sure to let your dough sit for at least 30 minutes to reduce a gummy interior.