Perfect Sandwich Bread

Mix together dry ingredients, taking care to keep the yeast and salt away from each other. Add in the liquid ingredients, bring together roughly with a spoon, then knead until you have a smooth, elastic dough - usually around 10 minutes.

Use a pastry/silicon brush to oil a bowl and place the dough into it. Cover the bowl with lightly oiled clingfilm and leave someplace warm to prove until roughly doubled in size - usually about 1 hr 30 - 2 hrs depending on temperature.

On a clean work surface, deflate the dough by kneading it for a minute or so, then shape the dough into a log no longer than the bread tin you plan to use. Place the dough seam side down into the bread tin and cover loosely with oiled clingfilm. Leave to rise for another 1hr - 1hr 30, until almost but not quite doubled in size.

Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F) after about 40 minutes into the second prove.

Once the dough has finished it's second proving, make an egg wash with the left over egg yolk and a couple of tablespoons of water. Ever so gently brush the top of the dough, taking care not to deflate it. Put the dough in the oven for 35 - 40 minutes, rotating it once half way through.

Take the bread out of the oven (and bread tin) and leave to cool on a wire rack for roughly one hour. If you want a crunchy crust then let the bread cool as it is, but if you want a soft crust like shop bought sandwich bread then cover the bread with a clean tea towel as it cools.