Ingredients:

  • 500 g granary bread flour (also known as malted grain bread flour)
  • 7 g fast action dried yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 300 ml lukewarm water

Instructions:

  1. In a large bowl, mix together the granary bread flour, yeast, and salt until thoroughly combined.
  2. Stir in the olive oil and gradually pour in the lukewarm water while mixing continuously until a dough forms.
  3. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes by stretching, folding, and rotating until smooth.
  4. Shape the dough into a ball, place it back in the mixing bowl, cover it lightly with oiled clingfilm, and leave to rise for 60 minutes at room temperature.
  5. Once risen, knock the air out of the dough and shape it into an oval loaf. Place it on a lightly oiled baking tray, covering it again with clingfilm to prove for another 60 minutes.
  6. After 45 minutes of proving, preheat your oven to 210°C (190°C fan).
  7. After the second proving, slash the top of the loaf with a sharp knife and sprinkle lightly with flour.
  8. Place the loaf in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.
  9. After 30 minutes, turn the loaf over and tap the bottom; it should sound hollow. If not done, return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
  10. Remove the baked loaf and let it cool on a wire cooling rack.