Making the Bread

• Take your sourdough starter, water and flour and put them in a large mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon or dough spoon to mix the ingredients together.
• It will be sticky and dense to manage with a spoon. Let this sit for one hour. This is the autolyse stage. Once the hour has passed you will add the salt and let it sit another 30 minutes.
• Now you will do your first stretch and fold or coil fold. There are two different options. You can stretch and fold which means you pull the dough up from one corner and stretch it and then fold it over the top fo the dough, rotate and do the same action 4 times for the dough.
• Coil fold is where you lift the dough from underneath with two hands, pulling the dough up and then folding it down in half on itself as you let it back down. I You then rotate the bowl and repeat this 3 more times rotating the bowl each time.`
• Let the dough rest another 30 minutes and repeat the coil fold or stretch and fold. (having wet hands makes this so much easier)
• Repeat this 3 -4 more times. You can do it up to 6 times.
• Once you are at this point you will notice the dough has a very different texture and should be very jiggly.
• Once it had doubled in size, its time to shape your dough and prepare it for the fridge! This is a bulk fermentation. This will make one large loaf or two smaller loaves.
• If you decide to make two, just divide the filling ingredients.
• Take your dough and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface. Using your fingers, stretch the dough into a rectangular piece that is about 10 by 13 inches wide or more if you are making one large loaf.
• Once you have it laid out add your filling ingredients. Sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon, rosemary and orange zest over the entire surface.
• Add the cranberries randomly on dough in an even pattern.
• Now, fold the sides in toward the center creating a thin shape. Now roll it up on itself to create a ball. Then use your hands and pull the dough towards yourself while creating a ball. This will help add surface tension to the outside of the dough. Be careful to not pull too hard and push all the filling toward the surface of the dough.
• Flour your banneton or proofing basket and lay your dough with the top side down. Cover with plastic or a towel and put it in the fridge overnight or for 12 hours.
• In the morning, preheat your oven to 425 degrees with a dutch oven in it.
• Once it is hot, get your bread out of the fridge and lay it on a piece of floured parchment paper. Use a sharp razor blade or bread lame to cut and score the surface of the dough.
• Put the dough with the parchment paper in the hot pan and cover with the lid (you do not have to have a lid but I think it makes it rise better)
• Bake for 25 minutes covered and then remove the lid and bake another 15 minutes uncovered until it is golden brown on top.
• When it is done, remove it and let it cool completely on a cooling rack before cutting.
• This tastes amazing with some cinnamon honey butter. You can also make french toast. Store in a bread bag or plastic bag.