Activate the yeast. In a small bowl, whisk together the warm water (110-115°F — about as warm as a baby’s bath, not hot enough to feel uncomfortable on your wrist), sugar, and yeast. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy and fragrant. If it doesn’t foam, your yeast is dead or the water was too hot — start over with fresh yeast.
Mix the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Pour in the yeast mixture and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a rough, shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains.
Knead. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 8-10 minutes by hand (or 5-6 minutes on medium-low speed with a stand mixer dough hook). The dough should go from sticky and rough to smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but no longer sticking heavily to your hands. A good test: press a finger in — the dough should spring back slowly. Add flour a tablespoon at a time only if the dough is too wet to handle; avoid adding too much or the loaf will turn out dense.
First rise. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in it, and turn to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rise at room temperature (70-75°F) for about 1.5-2 hours, or in a proofing oven at 90°F for about 1 hour, until roughly doubled in size. Test by pressing a finger into the dough an inch deep — if the indent slowly springs back halfway, it’s ready.
Punch down and shape. Gently punch the dough down in the center to release the gas, then turn it out onto a lightly floured counter. Flatten it into a rough rectangle about the width of your loaf pan. Starting from the long edge, roll the dough into a tight log, pinching the seam closed as you go. Pinch the ends closed too and tuck them slightly under.
Pan it. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan (or line with parchment) with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the dough log seam-side down in the pan, pressing it gently so it fills the corners.
Second rise (proof). Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap or a towel and let proof at room temperature for 45-75 minutes, until the center of the dough domes about 1 inch above the rim of the pan. Don’t let it overproof — if it rises much higher and looks fragile/bubbly on top, it may collapse in the oven.
Preheat. About 20 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the center position.
Bake. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown. Check doneness with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center — it should read 190-200°F. (No thermometer? Tip the loaf out and tap the bottom; it should sound hollow.) If the top is browning too fast before the inside is done, loosely tent it with foil for the last 10 minutes.
Cool before slicing. Turn the loaf out of the pan immediately onto a wire rack (this prevents a soggy bottom from trapped steam). Let it cool for at least 20-30 minutes before slicing — cutting too early makes the crumb gummy, even though it’s tempting.
Storage: Keep in a sealed bag or container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze sliced for up to 3 months.
Troubleshooting tips:
- Dense, heavy loaf: under-kneaded, too much flour added, or yeast was weak/expired.
- Didn’t rise enough: water was too hot (killed the yeast) or too cold (yeast too slow), or the room was too cool — find a warmer spot or use the oven-off-with-light-on trick.
- Collapsed in the oven: overproofed before baking — next time, pull back the second rise time slightly.