Pain De Campagne (using sourdough starter)

I have always wanted to make a sourdough style bread and last week I decided the time had come, so I delved out my DK Bread book by Eric Treuille and Ursulla Ferrigno. And following is the recipe I chose to try...

French Country Style Bread with a Sourdough Starter (Pain De Campagne)

Starter:

2 tsp dried yeast
300ml (1/2 pint) water
250g Strong White Flour.

Sprinkle the yeast into the water in a glass jar. Leave for 5 minutes; stir to dissolve. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Cover the jar with a tea towel and leave to ferment at room temp. for a least 2 days but no more than 3 days. Remember to stir mixture twice a day....it will be bubbly and pleasantly sour smelling.

Maintain the Starter:

If remove 250g starter, then need to add 125ml water and 125g flour to the jar.

Dough:

1 tsp dried yeast
175ml water
50g rye flour
325g strong white flour
1 1/2 tsp salt

1) Sprinkle yeast into water. Let stand 5 minutes and then stir to dissolve. Mix flours and salts together and make a well in middle.

2) Spoon 250ml of the starter into flour well and then add yeasted water. Reserve and replenish  remaining starter for your next bread.

3) Mix in flour from the sides to form a stiff but sticky dough. Add water 1 tbsp at a time if mixture is too dry.

4) Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

5) Put dough in clean bowl and cover with tea towel, leave to rise 2 hours. Knock back then leave to rest for 10 minutes.

6)  Shape dough into a round loaf . Place on a floured baking tray. Cover with tea towel and prove until doubled in size 1 1/2 hours.

7) Dust with flour. Cut lines in top of loaf. Bake in preheated oven (220C) for 1 hour until golden brown and hollow sounding. Leave to cool on wired rack.