Day One: Prepare Pate Fermentee

1. Prepare the Pate Fermentee the day before you plan to make the bread. Add all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix using a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk until just smooth. Allow the preferment to sit at room temperature for 14 – 16 hours.

Day Two: Make Final Dough

1. The next day, add all the ingredients to bowl of a stand mixer (except for the preferment) and mix at first speed for three minutes. While the dough comes together add the preferment in small chunks. Then mix on second speed for 4 minutes. The gluten will be moderately developed and the dough should be supple.
2. Let the dough bulk ferment for 90 minutes, and complete one fold after 45 minutes.
3. Shape loaves into round, oval or triangle loaves. Proof the loaves in lined or unlined proofing baskets 1- 2 hours then place in the refrigerator overnight.

Day Three: Bake the Loaves

1. The next day, 45 minutes before you plan to bake the loaves, preheat the oven to 450 degrees with a baking stone, cloche or other type of Bread Pot or Dutch oven on the bottom rack.
2. Remove the baskets, one at a time, from the refrigerator and carefully turn them out from the proofing basket onto parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal. This will be your parchment sling. Score the loaves using the pattern of your choice. Work with one loaf at a time and bake the cold loaf straight from the refrigerator.
3. Using heavy-duty oven mitts, carefully remove the preheated cloche from the oven and place the lid and base on heavy towels or potholders to protect them from temperature changes.
4. Place one scored loaf (on the parchment sling) on the base of the cloche. Place the cloche on the bottom rack in the oven and cover with the lid.
5. Bake the loaf for 15 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the loaf is a medium dark brown.
6. If you’re baking two larger loaves, extend the baking time by about 5-15 minutes. You can remove the parchment paper partway through the bake cycle if desired to let the bottom firm up, but be careful not to burn the bottom of the loaves.
7. Repeat the baking process with the remaining loaves. If you turned the oven temp down, preheat it again to 450 degrees F. before baking the remaining loaves.
8. Place the loaves on a wire rack to cool. You’ll also want to place the cloche lid and bottom on a thick towel to cool down to keep them from cracking due to extreme temperature change.