This is a basic bread recipe that I make all the time for sandwiches, pizza, or as the base for other variations. It’s quite tasty alone or with a dollop of honey!

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

• Scant (that’s barely) 4 Cups of white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1.25 Cups warm water
• 1 package (2 tsp) active dry yeast
• .25 Cup olive oil
• 1 TBSP salt
• Loaf pan

Start out by dissolving the yeast in 1/4 Cup of the warm water and let rest for about 5 to 10 minutes in a large bowl; foam should appear at the top. Once the yeast is ready, combine the rest of the ingredients, making sure that the salt does not touch the yeast (I usually put it on top of all of the flour, just to be safe), and kneed for 3 to 5 minutes, until the dough is soft and pliable. Cover and let rest for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Take the rested dough out of the bowl, shape it into a loaf and set into the loaf pan (note: I lightly oil my pan to make sure that the dough does not stick to it while baking.) and lightly dust the top with some of the bread flour. Let rest for 30 minutes to an hour. Bake for about 35 minutes, turn out onto a rack to cool.

I generally allow the bread to cool overnight before I cut into it, but if you prove to be a bit impatient, wait at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting, otherwise you’ll run the risk of smashing the loaf.