This recipe was provided to us by Claudio Pozzi, during the baking course  

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INGREDIENTS (for about one kg of bread)

• Mother yeast

• "Ancient" soft wheat flour

• Water without chlorine

(NB the quantities are indicated in the procedure  and consider them as variable indications)

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METHOD

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You should have a small jar in the fridge  with a small dose of sourdough. About the size of an almond. When you feel like making bread, open it and fill it with non-chlorinated water.

Dissolve the contents well and transfer it to a bowl where you will add water and flour in several stages until you reach a weight of 150 grams within 12 hours.  When you are ready, transfer the contents of the bowl (it is your sourdough) into a container suitable for making bread.

Add a little dry flour and a drop of water to the bowl, collect the remaining traces of yeast and obtain a semi-elastic dough  (always more or less the size of an almond).  Close it again in the jar and place it in the fridge.  This is the mother to keep for the next time.  It can stay in the fridge for a week / ten days, depending on the season.

In the container where you put the 150 grams of yeast, add 450 grams of flour  and enough water to mix the ingredients and to relax the gluten in a warm "bath".  Make yourself a coffee, an urgent phone call or choose ingredients to add such as seeds, dried fruit, various herbs.

After about 10-15 minutes, add a ladleful of dry flour around the bowl and with your "paddle" hand begin to undermine the slightly firm dough, making sure that the flour slides underneath.

Once the dough has been detached from the bowl, always begin with non-invasive movements to fold it several times on itself, incorporating air (I recommend not the flour!)

When you need to lower it a little, do it with loving pats.  Once it reaches a satisfactory consistency (always soft and well hydrated) let it rise covered with a damp cloth for at least three hours.

Take the container back and, with the help of a little dry flour, remove the dough from the edges and the bottom;  repeat the folds to lower the leavening.  Continue gently with the folds until you have reached the desired consistency. At that point, take the dough in your hand and form the "ball".

When the surface becomes smoother put it to rise for another hour in a typical form  plum cake  or else, if you decide to use it, or on a floured surface if you decide to simply use the dripping pan (which must be heated together with the oven) or in a basket lined with a floured cloth (the version I prefer).

Heat the oven to 230 ° and bake the upside-down loaf (obviously, not in the case of direct leavening in the form). After the first 15-20 minutes, lower the temperature to 200 ° and finish cooking (generally another 20-25 minutes).
The last 10 minutes will have to be made out of the form (if you have used it) in order to let the dough dry well.

The bread is ready when it “plays empty”.