Step 1

Measure out the flour correctly by spooning it into a measuring cup, then leveling it off. See the blog post above for photos. In a large bowl, combine the bread flour, salt and yeast and stir. Stir in the lukewarm water. Mix gently with a spoon until all of the flour is incorporated

Step 2

Cover with a towel, saran wrap or a dutch oven lid and let it rise for 8 hours - it will puff up and look crazy. I like to store it in my oven (not turned on, of course) with the light on to help it rise.

Step 3

Pre heat the oven to 450 degrees after the 8 hours of rising.

Step 4

Flour a clean surface and place the dough on the floured surface. It helps to get it out with a plain butter knife so it won't stick to your hands. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little bread flour so it's not as sticky

Step 5

Knead the dough for 30 seconds. Knead it longer if you'd like the dough to be more dense. The less you knead the dough, the more spongy and fluffy the bread is.

Step 6

Oil a bread pan and place the dough in the pan.

Step 7

Cover the bread pan with another bread pan turned upside down (covering the bread while baking allows it to steam and form a crust). You can also bake this bread in a small dutch oven with the lid.

Step 8

Bake, covered for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn the oven down to 420 degrees. Remove the bread pan lid and bake uncovered for another 10-15 minutes, or until the top of the bread looks crispy and golden brown.

Step 9

Once it's done baking, take it out of the bread pan and let it cool on a rack