With just a handful of simple ingredients and a little patience, you can experience the joy of baking your own bread, and the rewards are truly worth it.

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (around 110°F or 43°C)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional, for flavor)

Method

1. In a small bowl, combine the warm water and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
2. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water mixture and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy. This indicates that the yeast is active and ready to use. If it doesn’t foam, your yeast may be inactive, and you should start over with fresh yeast.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
4. If you want to add olive oil for flavor, this is the time to mix it in.
5. Pour the activated yeast mixture into the bowl with the flour and stir until a dough starts to form.
6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
7. Knead the dough for about 8-10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. You can also use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment for this step.
8. If the dough feels too sticky, you can add a little more flour as needed, but be careful not to add too much, as it can make the bread dense.
9. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
10. Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1-2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
11. Punch down the dough to release any air bubbles.
12. Shape it into a loaf by folding the edges toward the centre and rolling it up tightly.
13. Place the shaped dough into a greased 23×13 cm loaf pan.
14. Cover the loaf pan with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise for another 30 minutes to an hour until it reaches the top of the pan.
15. Preheat your oven to 190°C while the dough is rising.
16. Once the dough has risen in the pan, place it in the preheated oven.
17. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
18. You can also check the internal temperature with a thermometer, which should read around 88°C.
19. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for a few minutes.
20. Then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.