Easy, Simple, Yeast Bread

Directions

1. 1
   Stir the sugar into the water then add the yeast and give that a quick stir. Leave it to sit on the counter for a 8-10 minutes until frothy.
2. 2
   Mix 2 cups of the flour and salt in a heavy duty mixer with the kneading attatchment.
3. 3
   Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and mix well, gradually adding flour until it comes away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
4. 4
   Turn onto a floured counter and knead it for 5-10 minutes adding flour as neccecary. The dough should be fairly springy but not too sticky.
5. 5
   Place the dough into a greased bowl and turn it once to coat it with a little oil.
6. 6
   Let the dough rise in a warm area with a cloth over it until doubled in size, for about an hour.
7. 7
   Punch down dough and form it into the desired loaf shape. I prefer the baguette. To make a baguette, divide the dough in half, spread each half out into a rectangle then roll it up and slit the top. Place the loaves onto an oiled and cornmealed cookie sheet. Cover the loaves up with a cloth and let them rise for 30 minutes.
8. 8
   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
9. 9
   Spray the loaves with a little pam spray and bake it for 15-18 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
10. 10
    Let it cool on cooling rack before cutting.