Place the starter, flour and water into a large bowl and stir

Cover with cling film and set aside for at least 8 hours

Once the leaven is ready you can make your bread *

Place the leaven, flour, water and salt into a large mixing bowl

Stir to mix - your dough should be sticky and soft

If it is too grainy, wet your hands and mix until it no longer feels dry - keep wetting your hands until it is soft

If it is too sticky then flour your hands and mix the flour in until it is soft

You do not need to knead the dough

Once the texture is correct and you can push your fingers through the dough easily, genersouly coat a proving basket with oat flakes

Lightly flour your work surface then wet your hands and shape the dough into a ball

Place onto the flour and gently pat oat flakes over the top and sides of the dough

Place the dough, oat side down, into the proving basket

Cover with a shower cap and leave to rise until the surface is full of little holes and it is visibly larger **

Preheat the oven to 230° Celsius

Gently tip the dough onto a lined baking tray

Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 200° Celsius and bake for a further 30 minutes

Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing ***