Ingredients
300g strong white bread flour
1 tsp fine salt
1½ tsp caster sugar
7g fast action yeast
160-180ml warm water
2 tbsps oil or butter

Method
First, lightly butter a loaf tin and set aside. In a stand mixer with a dough hook (or large bowl) put the flour and then put the salt, sugar and yeast in each to a side and so they are not touching.  Put in half of the water and the oil and then turn on the mixer and gradually add most of the remaining water until your dough has picked up all of the flour.  You might not need all of the water but should definitely need most of it.  Your dough should not be sticky.  Knead for roughly 10 minutes.  If you do not use a stand mixer then knead the bread on a lightly floured surface for 15 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.   Do take your time with the kneading as this will help the bread be light.

Once your dough is smooth then form into a ball. Tuck the ball into the loaf tin and cover with greased cling film and leave to rest in a warm place for 1 hour 30 minutes.

Put the dough into your loaf tin and leave for an hour.  The dough should have doubled in size.  After an hour, gently pull the dough so it fits to the tin and leave for another hour.  The dough should grow bigger than your tin so if it is not leave until it is.  The length of time this takes will depend on the warmth in your kitchen - in winter I find that this can take significantly longer.

Once you are happy with your dough, heat your oven to 200c.  When your oven is hot, dust the top with a little flour and with a sharp knife or blade slash the top of the bread just off center down the middle.

Put into the oven in and cook for 20 minutes before turning down the heat to 180c and cooking for a further 15-20 minutes until golden on the top.  Carefully tip the bread out of the tin and tap the bottom, it should be dry and should sound hollow, if it does not put back in for 5 minutes and try again.

Bread needs to be cold to slice it nicely but just try leaving it that long.