Ingredients

500 grams of flour
1 teaspoon of active or instant yeast
1-2 teaspoons fine salt
300 millilitres of tepid water
Optional: Sourdough starter

Flour should be of good quality and a mixture of wheat types. This helps with flavour as a basic white loaf will be pretty bland. If you use heavier wheat such as wholemeal or malted barley then it should only consist of about 20-30% of your total flour. Heavier flours have stronger gluten and won't rise as much. A pure wholemeal loaf will come out like a dense brick, which nobody wants. My personal preference is about 70% white to 30% wholemeal.

Water should be tepid. Dip your finger in the water and it should be moderately cool to warm.

A sourdough starter is optional, but adds extra depth of flavour to the bread profile and is definitely worth it if you want to take your bread to the next level. A starter can easily be created by mixing flour and water to a thick sludge and storing in a container such as a glass jar or Tupperware. Bacteria from the air will eat the sugar in the flour and the water to ferment, adding flavour and life. Use some of this starter in your dough recipes, including other delicious items such as pancakes, then top it up with fresh flour and water. It's a pet, so you have to keep it alive. If alcohol starts to form on top, it's dying and needs feeding.


Process

Mix the ingredients in a mixing bowl, I use Pyrex. Start with the flour, if you're using multiple types of wheat then mix them, along with salt and additional minor flavourings. Add the sourdough starter if you're going down that route and then gradually add the water while mixing. Once everything is incorporated, you want it to be a somewhat sticky ball but not soggy. Adjust the amount of flour or water accordingly.

Put the dough ball on a floured work surface and begin to knead the dough with one hand. At this point you're trying to build some gluten which is what holds bread together and traps the carbon dioxide released by the yeast, which gives bread its crumb. The reason why you're using one hand is to keep the other hand clean if you need to open cupboards or perform other tasks.

After a while, as the gluten starts to build then your dough should begin to dry out a little bit and not stick to everything. Knowing the appropriate time will be down to experience, then you can use your second hand to knead the dough properly and stretch it to build stronger gluten.

With one hand at the base of your palm, push and stretch the dough forwards then lift it up and fold it back on itself. Your other hand rotates the dough and the process repeats. As you knead the dough it will go from a rough texture and consistency to very smooth and springy. Once it's smooth and springy, you can stop. From the middle, tuck the dough downwards under itself and rotate a little. Perform this about ten times and you'll be stretching the surface at the top. Lightly grease a bowl with a little bit of oil and place the dough ball in there. Wrap the lid of the bowl in clingfilm. Exposure to air will react with the dough and form a hard crust, which we don't want.

Wait an hour for the bread to initially prove in a cool to mildly warm spot and it will increase in size. Carefully remove from the bowl, trying to rip the dough as little as possible. Press out on a floured surface to push out the air a little bit, then fold back on itself, turn over and again stretch the dough down and underneath. This should leave you with a loaf shape where the top is consistent and smooth. This is purely for aesthetics, so if yours looks a bit crap don't worry. Grease up a medium bread tin with butter and carefully place your dough inside, covering it with the same clingfilm from before. Leave to rise for another hour or so.

When the dough has risen suitably, very gently poke a section with your finger. If the dent starts to undo itself, fantastic. If the dent stays and doesn't move then it's proved for too long. If you have a very sharp knife, cut some strips about 1 centimetre deep. This breaks the strong gluten on the surface and allows the bread to expand in those cuts, but this is purely aesthetic again. Heat your oven to about 230 degrees Celcius (about 450 Fahrenheit) and place the bread tin in for approximately 25 minutes. Once baked, remove the bread from the tin while using gloves and tap the bread. It should make a hollow wooden sound, which means it's cooked. If it sounds otherwise then it either needs longer or you smell.

Place the bread on a heating rack and leave to cool. If you try to cut and eat it straight from the oven, the bread will be soggy from moisture and nobody likes soggy bread. When it's ready after at least an hour of cooling, cut off one end and test the bread, plus enjoy the wonderful crumb shot.