Every loaf that leaves our farmstand starts two days earlier with a small jar of bubbling starter we call Hazel. She's been alive since the bakery opened, fed on stone-milled flour and a little patience.
We mix our dough late in the afternoon, let it rest through the evening, then move it into a cool retard overnight. That long, cold ferment is what gives the crust its blister and the crumb its open, custardy chew.
Slow fermentation also breaks down some of the gluten and phytic acid naturally present in wheat. Folks who feel heavy after grocery-store bread often tell us our loaves sit easier.
It's not fancy. It's just time, good flour, and salt. If you're baking at home, try pushing your bulk ferment into the fridge overnight before shaping. You'll taste the difference the very next morning.