Ingredients:

4 cups (500 grams) bread flour

1 1/2 cups (350 ml) lukewarm water

1 packet dry yeast

1 TBSP olive oil

2 tsps salt

2 tsps sugar

Directions:

Begin by dissolving sugar in lukewarm water.

Add the dry yeast and stir.

Set aside.

Place flour in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Attach the dough hook.

Activate the mixer on lowest speed.

Add the water mix slowly.

Next, add the oil and continue mixing.

Lastly, add the salt.

Increase speed to medium and mix for 10 minutes.

Note: you can do those steps by hand but you’ll have to knead the dough for 20 minutes.

Remove dough and place in an oiled, large bowl.

Cover with plastic film first and a kitchen towel over that.

Place in warm, draft free area to rise.

When dough has doubled in size ( 1 1/2 to 2 hrs), remove dough to floured parchment paper laying over a large cookie sheet.

Gently flatten out the dough, being careful not to deflate it (see Tips).

Carefully carve a hole, at least 4” wide, in the center of dough.

Use flour on your hands to help achieve this step.

Bread should resemble a large donut.

Cover bread with plastic film and place back in a warm area to rise for an additional 45 minutes.

Fifteen minutes before bread is ready to bake, preheat oven to 450F.

Remove film and place cookie sheet in center of hot oven.

Bake for 30 minutes, spraying some water over bread surface at the 15 minute mark.

Note: Bread should be golden. If it’s darkening too quickly, loosely cover bread with foil.

TIPS:

If you want quicker rising, use fast rising dry yeast. Make sure to use a good brand since I’ve had bad experiences with cheaper store brands.

I prefer to use semolina flour on the bottom of my bread because of the crunch. It’s simple, instead of using regular flour, sprinkle semolina on parchment paper.

When shaping the bread, try to be very gentle to avoid air bubbles escaping the dough. Air bubbles make the bread lighter.