Step 1

Combine the water and honey in a measuring jug.

Step 2

Mix the flour and instant yeast together in a large bowl.

Step 3

Add the water/honey and mix together with a wooden spoon until you have a sticky dough.

Step 4

Add the salt and mix it in to distribute into the dough.

Step 5

Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for 1 ½-2 hours, or until almost doubled in size. The rising time will depend on how warm the kitchen is, if it is really cold you might want to prove the dough in a warm (but turned off) oven to speed things up.

Step 6

Dust your worktop with flour. Tip the dough on it and sprinkle with a little flour - it will be sticky (that's how it should be). Line a bowl or banetton basket with baking paper and dust with flour.

Step 7

Use a pastry scraper to fold the edges over towards the centre to create a round loaf.

Step 8

Carefully cup the loaf in your hands and transfer into the prepared bowl seam side down. Loosely cover with a plastic bag.

Step 9

Preheat the oven to 220C (420F) and place a Dutch oven on low shelf to preheat for 30 minutes while the bread is having its second rise.

Step 10

Slice the bread using a sharp knife or lame. Carefully remove the pot from the oven (it will be very hot so use oven mitts or pot holders).

Step 11

Lift the bread out of the bowl using the baking paper and drop into the pot. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

Step 12

Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes then take out of the Dutch Oven and bake directly on the oven shelf for 5 minutes for extra crisp crust.

Step 13

Leave the bread to cool before slicing.