Ingredients

12 oz Organic Dark Rye flour

4 oz Canadian Strong White flour

Ladlefull active sour dough starter

Half pint approx cold and just-boiled water (mixed 50:50) with slug of cold pressed rapeseed or olive oil added

Method

Start early evening: Put the flours into the bowl and mix together. Add the ladlefull of starter. Set mixer going and add most of the warm water and oil. Add remaining water and more if necessary to form the dough. Knead in mixer for 4 minutes. It will look rather like an unappetising lump of putty!

Shape into a ball on a lightly floured board, and place the dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl with a little room to rise, and cover with a lid or plate. Leave until bed-time (or about 4 hours).

Lightly flour a banneton. Turn out the dough, shape it and place it into the banneton (top side downwards). Sit banneton inside a plastic bag and leave overnight (or about 8 hours). Set oven on timer to heat up to 220 degrees (fan), just before you get up.

In the morning, turn loaf out onto baking tray, and bake for 30 minutes.

(Try not to eat the crust before taking the photo.)

IGB asked about Ladle size. I couldn't reply using link provided so added it here. I add 100ml of sourdough starter. Other liquids sufficiently to make the dough not too dry. The wetter the mix, the bigger the holes in the finished loaf. It's a bit of a black art, I am afraid.