Best to use a standing mixer for the dough, as it’s really runny. Fix the paddle attachment first and only swap for the dough hook if the dough starts ‘climbing’ up the paddle. If making it by hand, have scrapers at the ready, nags of patience and lots of flour to dust over the work surface.
Place the flours in the mixer’s bowl, add the yeast and give it a quick mix. Stir in the salt. Add the water and mix briefly to rough dough, then let it rest for 10 minutes.
Now beat it at high speed for at least 10 minutes (change the paddle to hook if you have the climbing problem), until it stops sticking to the sides and the bottom of the bowl, looks elastic and stringy. Cover and leave in a warm place to triple in volume, about 2 hours.
Flour the work surface generously and turn the dough out. Using scrapers or two palette knives divide the dough into four pieces and shift them as much apart as you can so they don’t meld together again while proving. Spray the pieces with oil and dust liberally with flour. Let them prove for 40 minutes.
Preheat the oven to maximum (250C/500F) and line two baking trays with parchment – or you can bake the bread in two batches. Scrape each piece of dough gently off the surface and stretch it with well-floured hands into a 25 – 30cm oblong loaf. Flip the loaves onto the baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until dark golden and crusty.
