Starbucks-Style Ham & Cheese Sandwich (Soft French Bread with Rice Flour)

Weigh 250g bread flour into a bowl and add 50g rice flour. Sprinkle 5g salt and 3g dry yeast over the top. Don't worry about where the yeast lands.

Weigh 200g water into the same bowl and stir with a spoon. Mixing by hand from the start gets sticky, so use a spoon. It's ready once no loose moisture remains.

Press the dough together firmly from above with your hands. Pick up the flour left at the bottom of the bowl as you press and knead until it comes together into one mass. It's fine if it's a bit crumbly with some dry flour remaining.

Cover with plastic wrap or a cloth and rest for 20 minutes. Room temperature is fine.

After 20 minutes, knead about 5 times, turning the dough over as you go. It's ready when the surface is evenly moist. Cover again and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes, until doubled in size.

Cut the risen dough into triangles like a pizza. Instead of rounding it, fold each piece in half end to end and place it seam side down.

Spread bread flour on the work surface for dusting, place the dough seam side up, and roll it to coat with flour. Press with the pads of your fingers to stretch it into an oval, fold the bottom two-thirds up and seal, then pinch the seam so the surface is taut. The key is not to crush the tips.

Dust with flour again, fold up two-thirds leaving one-third, and press from above to seal. Pull firmly from the end toward the center and secure it, then seal the remaining sections in order. Shape by pushing forward so the surface is taut and crisp.

Spray generously with water to prevent drying, and let it proof a second time in a warm room for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until about 1.5 times the size (one size larger).

Preheat the oven to 230°C. Dust the dough with bread flour through a tea strainer and make one slash (or three) down the center with a lame or a sharp paring knife.

Just before putting it in the oven, spray generously with water and bake at 230°C for 10 minutes. Then lower to 220°C and bake for another 10 minutes. If the color is pale, move it to the upper rack for 3 more minutes.

Let the baked bread cool and cut a slit in the side. Drizzle in a little olive oil and fill generously with ham and cheese. Rebaking in a toaster oven makes it even better. Drizzle with honey if you like.