This is the simplest recipe that turns out good bread time and time again…last time I made it my cute little niece was walking around the house eating a slice and there was no way you could pull it out of her hands. To me, that was the best test of its tastiness :)

Ready

• 2 ½ cups strong flour (can be white or brown, or any mix of the two..I’ve tried diff combos and they’ve all worked)
• 1 package dry yeast
• 1 cup tepid water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons honey

Set

• 2 mixing bowls
• 1 small bowl
• sieve
• spoon
• loaf tin or baking sheet
• parchment paper

Go

1. Put half a cup of tepid water into the small bowl. Pour in the honey and keep stirring until it is completely dissolved.
2. Add yeast to the honey water and stir until it is also completely dissolved.
3. Sieve the flour into one of the mixing bowls.
4. Add salt to flour.
5. Make a small well in the flour mixture and add the honey mixture.
6. Mix until the honey mixture is combined.
7. Add the other half cup of water into the flour mixture.
8. At this point the dough may not be wet enough, simply add enough until the flour is all mixed in. You can always add more flour if the dough is too wet, as this recipe is very forgiving.
9. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead it for a few minutes. You should feel the stretchiness of the dough as the glutens start working.
10. Oil the other mixing bowl and the dough ball lightly, then put the dough into the bowl to rise.
11. Let it rise/proof until it doubles or for about 1 hour.
12. While the dough is proving, you can prepare the loaf tin or baking sheet with parchment paper
13. After it has doubled, turn out the dough onto a floured surfaced again and gently punch the air out. I normally use my fist and just push right down, but you can bash it around if you like.
14. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes.
15. Form into the final shape you want.
16. Place into loaf tin or on baking sheet.
17. Let the dough rise/proof for another round. This part should be a little longer, so I sometimes let it rise for up to 2 hours, although 1 hour can be enough, depending on the temperature of the room.
18. When the dough is close to the size/height that you want, preheat the oven to 375°F.
19. Gently slide loaf tin/baking sheet into oven when it is hot enough.
20. Bake for at least 30 mins, until the loaf goes golden brown.
21. Note that taking it out of the loaf tin or off the baking sheet near the end will allow other sides to gain some colour too.
22. If you have a thermometer, check the bread is about 200°F inside, as this will prevent you from having a gummy center. Alternatively, knock on the bottom and listen for a hollow sound. I know that sounds a bit vague, but you’ll know what I mean when you do it ;)

What you should know

I should mention that this was adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe :)