Pala Romana

1: Combine flour and water (reserve a little water for step 2). Autolyse for at least 1 hour.

2: Mix in the starter. Then add the salt, yeast, and remaining water and incorporate well. Add the olive oil and work the dough until it’s relatively smooth.

3: Start bulk fermentation: after letting the dough rest for 30 minutes, perform 2 rounds of stretch and folds with 30 minutes between each round. Then perform 2-3 rounds of coil folds with 1 hour between each round.

4: Dump the dough onto a clean counter and give it a preshape. Wet your work surface or dust with semolina flour if needed. Transfer the preshaped dough to a baking tray that’s been generously dusted with semolina flour. Cover and let the dough continue proofing for 2-3 hours at 75-80F until it’s doubled in size and puffy.

5: Preheat your oven to 500F. Generously sprinkle the dough with semolina flour and dimple both sides.

6: Bake on a baking sheet or pizza stone for 12-15 minutes or until the top is golden.