1. Combine Wet Ingredients and Starter: In a large mixing bowl, gently whisk together your active sourdough starter, warm water, sugar, and salt until well combined. The mixture should look slightly milky and bubbly from the starter. Add the olive oil and stir it in.

2. Add Flour and Form Dough: Gradually add 4 cups of the flour to the wet mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon or a Danish dough whisk until a shaggy dough forms. It will be sticky, but all the flour should be moistened.

3. Knead the Dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 8-10 minutes, gradually adding up to 1/2 cup more flour as needed, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky. It should spring back slowly when poked.

4. First Rise (Bulk Fermentation): Lightly grease a clean large bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it once to coat. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let it rise in a warm spot for 3-4 hours, or until it has visibly increased in size by about 50-75%. It won’t necessarily double like commercial yeast dough, but it should look puffy and alive.

5. Shape the Loaf: Gently punch down the risen dough to release the air. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into a tight log or rectangle that fits comfortably into your loaf pan. To do this, gently flatten the dough into a rough rectangle, then fold the top third down to the middle, and the bottom third up over that, pressing to seal. Then, roll it up from one end to create a taut log.

6. Second Rise (Proofing): Lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Place the shaped dough seam-side down into the prepared pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let it proof in a warm spot for 1-2 hours, or until the dough has risen to just above the rim of the pan and looks puffy. You can gently press a floured finger into the dough; if the indentation slowly springs back, it’s ready.

7. Preheat Oven and Bake: While the dough is proofing, preheat your oven to 375 F (190 C). Once the dough is ready, place the loaf pan in the preheated oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 200-210 F (93-99 C) when checked with an instant-read thermometer.

8. Cool Completely: Remove the bread from the oven and immediately transfer it from the loaf pan to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. This is crucial for the texture; slicing too early can result in a gummy interior.