Mix the water and starter

• Pour 350 g of water into a bowl (scale down to 325 g for a lower hydration, easier-to-handle dough).
• Add 100 g of active starter, making sure it is bubbly and ready to work.
• Mix well until the mixture is nice and milky.

Add flour and salt

• Add 500 g of bread flour and 10 g of sea salt.
• Mix everything together until there is no dry flour left; it doesn't need to be perfect, just combined.

Initial rest

• Let the dough rest for one hour so the flour fully hydrates and the gluten starts forming on its own.

Stretch and folds

• Do four sets of stretch and folds, spaced 30 minutes apart.
• With each set the dough gets smoother, stronger and less sticky.

Check dough temperature

• After the last stretch and fold, check the dough temperature (this one was 76°F).
• Based on that temperature, the total bulk fermentation should be around 7 hours.

Finish bulk fermentation

• Since 3 hours are already used (1 hour initial rest + 2 hours of stretch and folds), let the dough hang out for about 4 more hours.
• Check it around 2 am if needed.

Check if the dough is ready

• Does it jiggle when you shake the bowl?
• Does it look airy?
• Is it domed and slightly pulling from the sides?
• If the answer is yes, it's time to shape.

Shape and bake

• Shape the dough once it passes the readiness checks.
• Remember that room temperature, dough temperature and starter strength all play a role — learn to read your dough.