The fold and turn method is my go-to method for making any bread that requires a wet (> 80% hydration) dough. When making foccacia or ciabatta, I used to run my trusty KitchenAid at high speed for about 10-15 minutes -- that would get both the mixer and my husband a little hot and bothered. Now I just mix everything together, let the dough rest for about 30 minutes to let it fully hydrate, then a series of fold and turns (every 90 deg., 2 times around the bowl) about every 20 minutes. After the second set of folds/turns, the character of the dough really changes -- the sticky unorganized mess becomes more cohesive and stretchy. I find that you need to this at least 3 or 4 times or up to 6 times (diminishing return after that). The resulting bread is crust and chewy and has a wonderful open irregular crumb structure. I was skeptical when I first heard about this method, but now I'm a true believer.

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