Mix in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl:
2 cups Yeast-Leavened Sourdough Starter
1 3/4 cups room-temperature (72┬░ to 75┬░F) water (use warm water if the starter is cold from the refrigerator)
4 1/2 cups bread flour
Sprinkle in:
1 tablespoon fine sea salt or salt
If necessary, adjust the consistency of the dough by adding flour or water. The dough should feel sticky to the touch but should not actually stick to your hands. Knead for about 10 minutes or with the dough hook on low to medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn it over once to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to let rise until doubled in volume, about 3 hours in a warm place (75┬░ to 80┬░F) or about 6 hours at room temperature. Either divide the dough in half and shape each half into a round loaf or thick baguettes (see Shaping), or divide the dough equally into 4 parts and shape into baguettes. Place the shaped loaves in baskets or on floured cloths or in oiled pans as directed in the shaping directions. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, 2 to 4 hours. Preheat the oven to 450┬░F. If using a baking stone, preheat it on the center oven rack for 45 minutes. To bake loaves directly on the hot stone, you will need a bakerΓÇÖs peel sprinkled with cornmeal for the transfer. Flip the risen loaves on the peel, spacing them several inches apart. Score the risen loaves (see Scoring). Spritz the preheated oven with water from a spray bottle (avoid the bulb), wait 1 minute, and quickly slide in the loaves. Wait 2 minutes and spritz the oven walls again. Bake baguettes for about 30 minutes, thick baguettes for about 35 minutes, and round loaves for about 40 minutes. The loaves will be browned and the bottoms will sound hollow when tapped. To further set the crust, turn off the oven and leave the baked loaves in the oven for 5 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.
