The sourdough starter should be quite active. If it has been kept in the fridge, then when taken out, it should have been fed twice in the previous 24 hours

Put the sourdough starter in the mixing bowl and add the 50ml water. Use a dough whisk (or forks) to mix the starter into the water.

Add the flour and whisk again. Cover with a cloth and leave for 4 hours.

Add 250 ml lukewarm water and olive oil to the leaven and mix the leaven with the dough whisk.

Add the flour and then mix with spatula until the flour and water are combined. Depending on the flour used, if, with experience, you feel the mix is not firm enough then add a little more flour – no more than 2 tablespoons at a time. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave to rest for 1 hour.

Salt: Sprinkle the salt on the surface of the dough and with your hand wet with cold water, squeeze your hand through the dough 4 times. Leave covered for 1 hour.

Stretch and fold: Again with wet hands, pull the dough from underneath, stretching and folding over the top. Turn the bowl 180º and repeat. Turn the bowl another quarter of a turn and repeat the stretching of the dough from underneath to top, and finally turn the bowl 180º and repeat. This tightens the dough and you will feel the dough become more difficult to stretch. You may choose to turn and stretch twice more depending on the feel of the dough. Leave covered for 1 hour.

Repeat this stretching and folding each hour, 2 more times.

Shaping: Empty the dough onto a floured surface. Shape the dough roughly into a ball. From the side furthest away from you, pull the bottom of the dough on to the top. Then from the nearest side to you, similarly pull the dough from the bottom to the top. Then do the same from the left and right.

In the morning, take the dough out of the fridge and heat the oven to 200ºC

Take the banneton out of the fridge and tip the dough out on to a lightly floured work surface. Use the dough scraper to slice off 1/3rd of the dough. Form each piece of dough into a ball without deflating the dough. Deciding which side of the dough would be best on top and then put the top face down to the work surface. Pull the dough from the each of the sides to the upper surface and close/seal the joins. Turn the dough back the right way up. This will tighten up the dome shape. Repeat if necessary. Do this to both pieces of dough.

Put the smaller piece of dough on top of the large one and push your finger right through from top to bottom. Then expand the hole by pushing two fingers though.

Dust with rolled oats.

Put the cloche inside the oven while it is heating up. Leave the cloche to heat up thoroughly – at least 20 minutes from when the oven has reached temperature

Take the cloche out of the oven, remove the lid and transfer the dough from the bread board to the cloche. Replace the cloche lid and return to the oven.

Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the lid of the cloche and bake for a further 5 minutes

Baking Tray

Put a baking dish full of water in the bottom of the oven while it is heating up.

Place the dough on a baking tray and bake for 38 minutes.