Activate the yeast in 125ml of the warm water with 1 tsp of the sugar. Stir well to dissolve and leave for 10 minutes or until the mixture froths.

Place all of the remaining dry ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the oil and begin mixing on low speed. Slowly, a little at a time, add the water and yeast mixture to the flour mixture well until combined. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth, elastic and not sticky to the touch.

Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl loosely covered with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Using your fist, punch down the dough to expel the air. Lightly knead by hand for a couple of minutes until the dough is smooth again. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Shape each half into a log and place into lightly greased loaf tins. Once again, cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for 30 – 40 minutes until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Lightly brush the loaves with egg wash and place in the oven for 45 -60 minutes or until beautifully risen and golden, and sound hollow when gently tapped underneath. Remove from the tin and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Notes:

• Fresh yeast is available at your local supermarket bakery.
• You may need to add more water to reach the correct dough consistency as some flours have higher gluten than others.
• Use approximately half as much dried yeast as fresh yeast.
• Active dried yeast can be added directly to the dry ingredients.
• If you do not remove the loaf from the tin, the bread will sweat and become moist.