3. Mixing
Once you’ve verified that you have everything you need close by, you can get started. Start by grabbing a large bowl and then pouring the flour in. Most people will exclude the salt and starter/preferment and leave them for the next step rather than include them in this one.
If you’re using yeast, you might as well add it in right at the beginning. You might also want to exclude some water and then add it later on together with salt. The main thing you need to accomplish during this step is an even mix of all your ingredients to ensure that your dough is evenly hydrated and there aren’t any dry lumps.
Most chefs prefer to handle this stage by hand, it gives a gourmet feel that you would miss out on if you resort to machine use. That said if you’d rather use a mixer, by all means, go for it.