Homemade Bread

Directions

1. 1
   Combine the bread flour, yeast, sea salt, olive oil, and water in a bowl. Mix well.
2. 2
   Grease your work surface with some olive oil. Dump the dough onto your counter top and begin to work the dough. Knead, stretch, and press the dough with your fingers until it stops sticking to your hands and the work surface. This takes approximately 10 minutes,
3. 3
   Grease a bowl with olive oil, form the dough into a ball and place it in your greased bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.
4. 4
   Dump the dough onto a work surface and punch it to burst any air bubbles that may have formed. With your knuckles, form a rectangle, and fold your rectangle three times like a letter. Flatten again with your knuckles and repeat two more times.
5. 5
   Form your dough into a loaf. Place the bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the bread with flour and spread it with your hand gently so it coats evenly. Punch down the dough in the direction you want it to form. Put 2 mugs on the sides and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for another two hours.
6. 6
   Once you bread has risen again, place a bowl of water in the bottom of the oven.
7. 7
   Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Celsius.
8. 8
   Place the bread pan in the middle of the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.