Boule (bread)

A yeasted boule with an overnight preferment The final rehearsal: a round loaf shaped tightly, risen in a floured basket or towel-lined bowl, slashed and baked in a lidded pot. In place of a sourdough starter, a flour-and-water preferment made with just a pinch of instant yeast rests overnight, and the rest of the workflow mirrors a classic sourdough loaf. That makes the boule the bridge. Every motion, from building tension on the countertop to turning the loaf out and scoring it, is one a sourdough recipe will ask for, so when you switch to a starter, only the timing is new. If this loaf comes out tall and crackling, you are ready.