Place a sheet pan or shallow roasting pan on the floor of the oven. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Place a pizza stone on the rack. Preheat to 450°F / 230°C.

Keeping the dough on the couche, gently shape both pieces into flat loaves measuring about 12 × 6 inches / 30 × 15cm. Unless you have a huge pizza stone, you will need to bake the loaves one at a time.

Dust a baking peel and a transfer board with rice flour. Gently pull the edges of the couche to flip one loaf onto the transfer board. Invert the loaf onto the peel and transfer it from the peel to the pizza stone. Add about 250ml water to the pan on the oven’s floor, taking care to avoid exposing your skin directly to the resultant steam, which can burn.

Bake the loaf for 20 to 25 minutes, until it has developed a golden brown crust. Remove it from the oven and let it cool on a rack, until cool enough to handle. Repeat with the remaining loaf.