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1
You will need a 2 lb loaf tin, well buttered.
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2
Seive the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large bowl and pour in the hand-hot water with the melted butter.
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3
Mix with your hands to form a dough, then scrape it out of the bowl on to a work surface.
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4
Knead for 10-15 minutes, adding more water if necessary (the dough should be very soft -it is better to have too much water than too little).
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5
Transfer the dough into a greased bowl, cover it with a clean, damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place ideally for two hours.
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6
Next, roll the dough into a long sausage, about twice as long as the tin, flatten it with your knuckles into a long strip and fold it into three.
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7
Fit the dough in the buttered tin, with the fold beneath, pressing in on the edges so that you will have a nice rounded top.
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8
Sprinkle the surface with a generous dusting of flour, then cover the tin with a damp, clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for further 30-40 minutes.
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9
Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6/200C/400u00b0F.
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10
After the second-rising, bake in the centre shelf of the oven for 40 minutes, until the loaf sounds hollow when removed from the tin and tapped on the bottom.
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11
Return the bread back into the oven, but this time without the tin, upside down for a further 5-10 minutes to crisp the base and the sides.
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12
Cool the bread on a wire rack.
