The total hydration for this dough is ~75%. It makes a relatively wet dough that is easy to fold. As you get more comfortable with handling the wet dough, you can increase the hydration gradually. Fresh-milled flours usually need more water than older flour. A wetter dough will give a thinner crust with larger air pockets in the crumb. It will also be more difficult to handle and shape properly and requires more mixing/folds to develop enough strength to stand up.
Mix everything together in a mixing bowl by hand until well incorporated. Cover.
Do a series of stretch and folds in the bowl every 30 minutes for 2 hours. If you choose to omit the instant yeast, you need to give about 3 to 4 hours of this ”bulk fermentation”, folding every 30-60 the minutes. You’ll need 4-6 folds usually to develop enough strength, depending on your flour mix. Perform the windowpane test to judge sufficient gluten development.
Once you start to see signs of fermentation, such as bubbles and the dough getting larger, place the dough in the fridge for 8-24 hours.
Remove the dough from the fridge. If it has risen at least 50%, divide it into individual loaves if needed, and preshape it gently into a round. If it hasn’t risen much, leave it out at room temperature until it rises noticeably.
Let relax for 1-2 hours. Keep the dough covered to prevent it from drying out.
