This recipe comes our way via Gina Tan, who runs a bakery out of her home in Singapore, “Baking With Gina“. Lucky for us she also has many bread recipes on her blog here. This one is unique and delicious, as I’m sure they all are. The instructions are a little vague, so I’ve written them down with more detail in case you’re new to baking. Here’s the original recipe, if not.

This bake is a 3-day affair, if you count feeding your sourdough the night before. Resting periods while dough goes through it’s various proofing stages is 6 hours, and then there’s an overnight rest in the fridge.

Step 1: Feed starter the night before. You’ll need 50g of active starter for the bread.

Step 2: Prepare oats

• 10g unsalted butter
• 35g oats
• 75g milk
• 45g water
• 15g honey

1. Melt butter, add oats, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. The oats will get nice and brown – but you don’t want them to burn.
2. Turn off heat, and let cool for just a little bit. If you add the liquid when the pan is super hot, it’ll all evaporate before having a chance to cook the oats.
3. Add the milk, water and honey. Stir to combine and cook on low heat until thickened and oats are cooked.
4. Turn off heat and transfer to a bowl. Cover until ready to use so it doesn’t dry out.

Step 3: Make dough

• 200g bread flour
• 25g all-purpose flour
• 25g semolina flour
• 175g water

1. Measure flours into a med-large bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Add water then mix with the handle of a wooden spoon until there are no dry bits left.
3. Scrape sides down.
4. Cover and let rest 90 minutes

• 50g starter

5. Add starter to the dough and with a wet hand, squeeze dough with your fingers and thumb to mix. You don’t want to squeeze the dough through your fingers, or use your entire hand, just your fingers. When dough starts to stick to your fingers, wet them again.
6. Scrape dough off sides, cover and let rest 30 minutes.

• 5g salt
• oat mixture

1. Add salt and oats, and mix to combine. If you have a rectangular container, transfer dough to that for the rest of the resting/kneading steps.
2. Cover, and let rest 30 minutes. Total resting time so far is 1 hour.

Step 4: Knead and Proof

1. Stretch and fold*, cover and rest 30 minutes
2. Lamination**, cover and rest for 30 minutes
3. Coil folds***, cover and rest for 30 minutes.
   • 2nd coil fold and 30 minute rest
   • 3rd coil fold and 30 minute rest
   • 4th coil fold
4. Cover and let rest for 1 hour. Total resting time is 6 hours.

Step 5: Shape and proof overnight

1. Shape the dough, then place in a lined & floured container for 20 minutes.
2. Cover then place in fridge for an overnight rest.

(Next day) Step 6: Bake

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees, and place a Dutch oven with lid instead to heat up along with the oven.
2. Score top of loaf.
3. Bake, covered, at 475 for 20 minutes
4. Uncover and bake at 450 for 20 minutes
5. Cool completely before slicing.

*Gluten development: Stretch & Fold

**Gluten development: Laminating

***Gluten development: Coil Fold