White Bloomer

A simple honey-sweetened white loaf, baked with steam for a deep golden, crackly crust.

Ingredients

Mix the warm water and yeast in a small bowl and leave it to activate while you mix the rest.
In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the honey, rubbing it in with your fingers if needed so that there are no large clumps, then add the yeast mixture and the oil and work everything together until a ball forms.
Drizzle a little olive oil on the work surface and knead for 5–10 minutes. The dough starts out sticky. You can add 1–2 tsp of flour, but don't overdo it. It will become smooth and elastic as you knead.
Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for about an hour, until doubled in size.

Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F).
Tip the dough onto a lightly oiled or floured surface and knead briefly, for less than a minute. Stretch it out, fold it in half towards you, give it a quarter turn and repeat, for 1–2 full turns.
Lightly oil a baking sheet or stone. Shape the dough on it into a log or round, tucking the ends under. Add any toppings, such as oats, seeds or nuts, now.
If you like, score 4–5 diagonal slashes across the top with a very sharp knife, not too close together. Otherwise the loaf may burst open wherever it chooses.
Cover and leave to rise again for about 20 minutes. Don't let it over-prove.

Sprinkle the top with water and dust it with flour, unless you've added toppings. Put a tray with about 1 cup of water on the lowest shelf of the oven.
Bake on the middle shelf for 25 minutes. Then, without opening the door, lower the oven to 200°C (400°F) and bake for 10 minutes more. The crust will be dark, but it isn't burnt.

For a lighter crust, either bake for 18–20 minutes at 220°C and then longer at 200°C, or bake on the lower shelf (25 minutes, then 10 minutes) without the water tray.
Where you can't use a water tray, bake on the bottom shelf at 220°C for 5 minutes uncovered, then covered with foil for 20 minutes, then at 200°C for 10 minutes.