10:00 PM – Starter Build: In a small glass jar, add your 5g of starter culture to 35g of water and whisk together cleanly. Stir in 30g of all-purpose or bread flour and 5g of rye flour. Mix thoroughly, cover loosely, and let it sit at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours until the starter reaches its peak and at least triples in volume.

10:00 PM – The Toasted Oat Soaker: Place a frying pan over medium heat. Add your 50g of rolled oats and toast them dry for 3 to 5 minutes until they turn a light golden color and smell distinctly nutty. Add the 15g of butter directly to the pan and stir continuously until all the oats are cleanly coated in melted butter. Pour 100g of hot boiling water over the mixture, cover tightly with a lid or wrap, and let the oats soak on your counter overnight to soften fully.

7:00 AM – The Soaker Autolyse: In your stand mixer bowl, combine 270g of bread flour, 30g of whole wheat flour, 218g of water, and all of your prepared overnight butter-toasted oat soaker. Mix thoroughly with a spoon just until all dry flour spots disappear. Cover and let rest for 1 full hour to completely hydrate the flour proteins and initiate clean gluten development.

8:00 AM – Sourdough Starter Integration: Dump 60g of your active overnight starter peak directly into the autolysed dough. Turn your mixer on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or use a KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until the levain is fully incorporated. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. (Alternative: If mixing by hand, utilize the Rubaud method or clean slap-and-folds on your counter for 5 to 7 minutes).

8:30 AM – Salt Incorporation: Add your 6g of salt into the bowl. Mix on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or on a KitchenAid on speed 3 for 5 to 6 minutes) until fully incorporated. The dough should come together into a uniform mass but will still remain sticky on the bottom of the mixing bowl. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes at a warm temperature of 74–78°F (23–26°C). (Note: If hand-kneading, this step takes roughly 10 to 20 minutes. Pause for a minute or two a couple of times mid-knead to naturally tighten the gluten matrix).

9:00 AM – 1st Stretch & Fold: Wet your hands slightly with water. Lift one side of the dough up cleanly from the edge and fold it directly over the center. Repeat this matching movement across all four quadrants of the dough mass to organize vertical structure. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

9:30 AM – 2nd Stretch & Fold: Execute your second structured round of quadrant folds. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

10:00 AM – 3rd Stretch & Fold: Execute your third structured round of quadrant folds. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

10:30 AM – 4th Stretch & Fold: Execute your fourth and final stretch-and-fold round. Cover and let the dough proof completely untouched for 30 minutes at a warm 76–80°F (24–27°C). (The Calibration Check: Keep an eye on the surface; you should see small bubbles form, and the mass must feel visibly lighter, reaching a clean 40% to 50% volume rise. If it proofs slowly, extend your intervals up to 45 minutes).

11:00 AM – Preshaping: Gently tip the expanded dough out onto your work surface and dust the top lightly with flour. Flip the mass over so the floured side faces directly down. Fold the outer edges cleanly onto itself so that the raw flour coating remains entirely on the outside of the loaf. Round the dough into a loose ball and let it rest on your counter completely uncovered for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.

11:30 AM – Final Shaping & Topping: Dust the top of the resting dough round with a light layer of whole wheat flour. Use a dough scraper to flip it over onto your counter so the floured side faces down. Pull the right two corners outward and fold them up over the center. Repeat this action across the left side. Roll the dough tightly away from you, shaping it into a smooth, taut, uniform log.

The Exterior Oat Finish: Spray the top crown of your shaped roll generously with water using a spray bottle, then roll the wet surface through a shallow tray of raw oats to coat the exterior beautifully.

Basket Stabilization & Fridge Retard: Transfer the shaped roll seam-side up into your well-floured proofing basket. Cover with plastic wrap and return the basket to a warm 78°F (26°C) spot for exactly 15 minutes to stabilize. Slide the basket directly into your refrigerator to rise slowly for 14 to 24 hours of cold fermentation retard at a stable 40°F (4°C).

Next Morning – Preheating: Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C). Place your cast iron pan and lid onto the middle rack to heat up thoroughly for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Scoring & Loading: Remove the cold dough basket from the fridge. Flip it over gently onto a sheet of parchment paper and score the smooth surface with one clean, long, deep cut using a sharp lame or razor blade.

The Steam Bake: Transfer the dough carefully onto the smoking hot cast iron pan base, drop the heavy lid down tightly to lock in the steam, and bake at 500°F (260°C) with the lid on for exactly 15 minutes.

The Open Bake: Carefully lift the hot lid off to expose the loaf, lower the oven temperature to 450°F (232°C), and continue baking bare for an additional 20 minutes until the crust turns an incredibly deep golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack for 2 full hours before slicing!