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Method

1. Mix the flour, yeast and salt together in a large bowl. Add 325ml/11fl oz warm water and scrunch the flour mixture and water together until no lumps of flour remain and you’re left with a scruffy ball of dough. Cover and set aside for 1–2 hours, or until doubled in size.

2. Grease a 3lb/1.3kg loaf tin with a little vegetable oil. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently tap the dough to flatten it, shaping it into a rough square. Bring the top edge of dough into the middle and press to seal, then bring the left and right sides into the middle. Roll the top edge of dough towards you a little at a time, pressing to seal it into itself as you roll. The tension in the dough should be noticeably increasing. When you have a large sausage shape, put the dough seam-side down into the loaf tin. Cover and leave in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

3. Preheat the oven to its highest setting (ideally using conventional heat rather than fan-assisted) and place a heavy-bottomed baking tray on the bottom of the oven to heat up.

4. When the loaf has doubled in size, splash a small amount of water on top of it and place it on the middle shelf of the oven, throwing a small glass of ice-cold water into the preheated tray at the bottom of the oven. Close the oven door and immediately turn the heat down to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

5. Bake for 40 minutes, turning the tin around halfway through cooking. To check that the bread is cooked, tip it out of the tin and tap it underneath – it should sound hollow. If not, put it back into the tin and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove the bread from the tin and leave on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.