A forgiving sourdough schedule for busy weeks

Most sourdough schedules assume you are home all day. Mine assumes the opposite. The trick is a stiff levain and a long cold retard, which together give you a window of almost a full day to bake.

Day 1, 21:00  levain: 20 g starter, 50 g flour, 30 g water
Day 2, 08:00  mix dough, rest 1 h, salt
Day 2, 09–12  three sets of folds, whenever you pass by
Day 2, 18:00  shape, into the fridge
Day 3, any    bake 250 °C, 20 min lid on, 22 min lid off

If the dough looks sluggish, give it an extra hour on the counter before shaping. If it looks too lively, shorten the bulk. The fridge forgives almost everything else.