Serious Eats' Workhorse Loaf

Combine the all purpose flour with 650 g. of the water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix at low speed until incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 min. - 1 hour

In a separate bowl, combine 50 g. of warm water and the active dry yeast. Stir lightly and let sit until foamy.

Add the yeast mixture and the salt to the dough. Mix at low until incorporated.

Turn mixer up to medium-high speed and mix until elastic and springy, about 3-5 minutes.

Lightly oil hands and a separate mixing bowl. Transfer dough to oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 30 minutes.

Uncover and fold dough onto itself once without compressing it. Let rest for 90 minutes or until size has increased 50%.

Transfer dough to a floured surface and use a knife or bench scraper to cut in half. Shape each half into a round, cover with a towel, and let rest for 15 minutes.

Reshape into rounds by folding the dough under itself. Place rounds seamside down and let rest for 5 minutes.

Transfer each round to a lightly floured bowl and move to the fridge. Let rise until doubled in size, 60-90 minutes.

Insert Dutch oven with lid into cold oven, preheat to 500 F.

Remove one round from fridge and turn it seamside down into the Dutch oven.

Score 2 lines using a razor down the length of the round, 3" apart. Spritz the surface of the dough with water from a spray bottle.

Transfer DO to oven and bake covered for 15 minutes.

Lower temperature to 450 F and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Uncover and bake until crust is dark, additional 15-20 minutes.

Remove bread from DO and transfer to cooling rack. Return DO to oven to preheat back to 500 F.

Repeat steps 11-16 with remaining round.