I've never tried this but it comes from a book with other recipes that work well.
Barm
250g bottle-conditioned beer or ale
50g strong white flour
4 tsp white leaven - oh dear Lord that's a recipe in itself
Heat the beer or ale to 70 deg. C, take off heat, quickly whisk in flour and try not to leave too lumpy. Transfer to a small bowl that the mixture will half-fill and leave to cool. When the temp has dropped to 20 deg. C, stir in the leaven. Cover, leave overnight, it should be fermenting by the morning. And that's your barm.
Barm bread
150g barm
250g water at 20 deg. C
500g strong white flour
1.5 tsp fine sea salt
8am In a large bowl, whisk the barm with the water. Add the strong white flour and salt and stir together with your hands until you have a soft, sticky mass. The dough temp. should be above 21 deg. C. Cover and leave for 10 mins.
8.10am Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly oiled work surface. Knead dough for 10-15 seconds. Clean and dry bowl, rub inside with a little oil, put dough back, cover and leave for another 10 mins.
8.20am Knead dough for 10-15 seconds, shape into a ball, place dough back in bowl. Cover and leave for 10 mins.
8.30am Knead dough for 10-15 seconds, shape into a ball, place dough back in bowl. Cover and leave for 30 mins.
9am Knead dough for 10-15 seconds, shape into a ball, place dough back in bowl. Cover and leave for one hour.
10am Knead dough for 10-15 seconds, shape into a ball, place dough back in bowl. Cover and leave for one hour.
11am Knead dough for 10-15 seconds, shape into a ball, place dough back in bowl. Cover and leave for two hours.
1pm Divide dough into two pieces, Shape each piece into a ball, cover and leave on work surface for 15 mins. Prepare two tea towels, rubbing them with flour, then using them to line two 20-cm wide bowls. Or use flour-dusted, linen-lined baskets (!)
1.15pm Shape the dough once more into balls, then place each seam-side up in the flour dusted cloths. Cover them with another cloth and leave at room temp (~20 deg. C) until almost doubled in height.
5.30pm Preheat oven to 220 deg. C/ GM7. Dust an oven tray or peel with semolina and coup one of the loaves out onto this. Make 2 slashes on the top in the shape of a St George's Cross.. Spray loaf with water and bake for 50-70 mins. Bake the 2 loaves together if there's roominyour oven, otherwise do the other loaf next. Cool on a wire rack.
