Julie's Sourdough

1- In a stand mixer combine flour, malted barley (if you have it), starter, butter and 3/4 cup of water. Knead with the hook on low for 3-4 minutes. Add a small amount of water and knead an additional minute if too dry (the dough should form a ball in the mixer. The secret to good sourdough is to get the water and flour ratio right. It shouldn't be too doughy but hold a semi-firm ball when it is correct). 2- Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes (this allows the flour to absorb the water). Add salt and knead for an additional 2 minutes. 3- Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place a dark towel over it. Let it rise until 2-3 times (up to about 12 hours) 4- Take the dough out of the bowl and turn in on a floured surface. Knuckle out any large bubbles (this should take about 2 minutes), flip and repeat, knead it back into a small round circle and place it back in the oiled bowl for a second rise (2-4 hours). 5- Put back on a floured surface, punch out and from dough into a ball. Sprinkle cornmeal on a baking dish to cook and allow it to rise one last time (2-4 hours). Use a very sharp oiled knife to place cuts on top of dough./ 6- Cook at 425 F (use convection setting if you have it) for 30 minutes (if you are using a clay sourdough oven you may need to increase the time by 10 minutes, bread should begin to brown) Also, you don't have to let the oven preheat before placing bread. 7- Reduce heat to 375 F (remove clay bread lid at this time) and bake for 5-10 minutes more. 8- Allow the bread to rest for 30 minutes before cutting and serving