How to Make Bread with an Open Crumb, Big Holes: The "Holey" Grail

10 Tips to get those large irregular holes found in artisan breads:

1) Use high hydration(wet) dough
2) Slow rise- dont put it some place warm to rush the rising. Save that for dinner rolls. A slow rise develops gluten bonds slowly.
3) Fold the dough over itself between rises- this adds stability to wet doughs
4) Use a small amount of yeast- a whole pack will rise it to quickly
5) Use bread flour or a bread flour/all purpose flour mix. If using King Arthur flour then all-purpose alone is fine.
6) Don't work the dough roughly when shaping. You don't want to deflate the bubble (you want them to get bigger)
7) Use a preferment (basically a starter)
8) Make sure you fully rise the dough after it is shaped
9) Have a hot oven
10) Have humidity in the oven