Here is my recipe and process. It seems pretty bullet-proof. This looks complex but is pretty simple once you go through it once.

I use a digital food scale, it really helps with the consistency. Definitely use bread flour, not all purpose flour.

For you bread geeks, this is a 69% hydration recipe. After trying different rations of flour/water, this is one that works reliably for me. There is no "right" answer for hydration, play around and decide what works for you.

Starter

Get started on this a full 24 hours before you mix your dough. We want to do 2 feedings before using the starter.

Do the first feeding the morning of the day before you will bake.When I pull my starter from the fridge, it looks like this.

Mix this up and let it sit covered on the counter all day. It will double in size by evening, eventually looking like this.

Do the second feeding the evening before you will bake.:

Mix this up and let it sit covered on the counter overnight. It will double in size by morning, eventually looking like this.

Bread

The morning of the day you want to make bread, mix up the following:

To the remaining starter, add enough flour to make it the consistency of playdough. Let that sit on the counter (covered) for a few hours then put it in the fridge. This is your starter for next time.

Mix all the bread ingredients up in a bowl... it should seem pretty stiff, but not dry. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then knead it in the bowl (push it down, then pull the sides over the top) twice an hour(ish) for 2 hours. Keep the bowl covered when sitting on the counter. The dough will get softer and smoother and rise after about 2 more hours. At about 4 hours it's time to pull the dough out of the mixing bowl for a final proof. Shape it into a boule (ball) with a little flour on the counter and then put it into a banneton. Cover the proofing dough with a dish towel. The dough will need to proof for about 2 hours. Here is my dough going into the banneton and when it's fully proofed.

If you do not have a banneton, you can put a linen towel in the bowl then dust it with flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the bowl.

Heat the oven to 450 with a dutch oven in it. Dump the dough into the dutch oven and score the loaf. Put the lid on and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 420, remove the lid from the dutch oven, and bake for another 20 minutes. Take the bread out and let it sit on a cooling rack for at least an hour.

This recipe can be shaped most anyway you want. Surprisingly, the shape has an impact on flavor.

Flour

I use a mix of 10% whole wheat and 90% bread flour. This results in great flavor and an easy to manage dough. So, in this recipe I use a mix of 40g whole wheat and 360g bread flour.

Use bread flour, not all purpose flour. Bread flour has more gluten and results in a bread loaf that rises better with a nicer crumb (internal texture).

We are lucky enough to have Barton Springs Mill nearby for our whole wheat flour. Don't skimp on quality flour, this will have a huge impact on your results. Support your local mills!