Easy Everyday White Bread

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix the dried yeast with the warm water until dissolved. Add the flour and mix well for 5 minutes, until no dry flour is left and you have a very shaggy dough. At this point add the salt and knead the dough energetically on a work surface using the palms of your hands for 6 to 7 minutes. Once nice and elastic, shape the dough into a ball, using a scraper to help. Transfer to a plastic container or bowl, cover and rest for 1 hour.
2. Grab the dough at one side, lift it up, and fold over. Repeat four or five times, moving clockwise around the bowl. Let the dough rest for 45 minutes, then repeat this folding process three more times, every 45 minutes. The dough will gradually become tighter.
3. 45 minutes after the last fold, gently transfer the dough to your work surface without deflating it. Shape into a round by slipping a floured scraper under the edge and then scraping it around the curve of the dough, like turning left when driving. Do this a few times to build surface tension, cupping your palms around the dough and rotating it against the counter if needed.
4. Line a proofing basket or mixing bowl with clean kitchen towels. Dust these and the dough heavily with flour, then transfer it to the basket upside down, so the seams from shaping are on top. Cover the basket with a plastic bag and let the dough rise for 4 to 5 hours at room temperature, or until doubled in size.
5. Preheat the oven to 220°c and place a dutch oven or any other heavy-bottomed pot with lid inside. Once the oven comes up to temperature, tip the loaf onto a piece of parchment paper. Quickly score the surface at a slight angle, almost parallel to the surface of the loaf; this creates the distinctive ‘shelf’ on top.
6. Place the loaf inside the heated dutch oven, put the lid on and bake in the preheated oven. After 25 minutes, take the lid off and bake at 190°c for a further 25 minutes or until the crust is golden and caramelised. Cool on a wire rack for at least 1 or 2 hours.
7. Enjoy!