Step 1

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients, and stir until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl.

Step 2

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. If you don't want to do this by hand, a stand mixer works great too. This dough should be soft, yet still firm enough to knead. Add additional flour, if necessary.

Step 3

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow the dough to rise till puffy, but not necessarily doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is.

Step 4

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8-inch log. Place the log in a lightly greased loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 to 2 hours, or until the center has crowned about 1 inch above the rim of the pan. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 5

Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. The finished loaf will register 190 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center.

Step 6

Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Rub the crust with a stick of butter. Cool completely before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.