Directions

1. Into a large bowl, add the water, yeast, sugar, salt, and olive oil. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes for the yeast to activate.

2. Add flour and desired additions, then mix until combined. I like to use a chopstick to stir, but a spatula or spoon will do. The dough will be a little scraggy but cover and set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate. 
   

3. Every 10 minutes, do stretches and folds. Use your hand to take one edge of the dough, stretch it upwards, then fold it toward the centre of the bowl. Turn the bowl and repeat until all of the dough has been stretched. Cover then repeat this process 3- 4more times with a 10 minute break between each. You'll know when the S&F's are finished when the dough completes the 'window pane test'- when the dough is stretched thin and becomes see-through without breaking. 

4. Set dough aside at room temp, covered until it doubles in size. 

5. Turn the proofed dough out onto lightly floured surface. Portion the dough into desired number of pieces, ensuring they are equal in size. Cover to ensure they don't dry out. 

6. Take each piece of dough and repeat the stretching and folding motion Rotate, repeating the motion, until a ball has formed. Place on a lined tray as is or roll each piece of dough into a long skinny loaf to make subs.

7. Place the rolled loaves onto a tray lined with baking paper or silicone mat. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Allow space between each loaf.

8. Cover the loaves with a greased piece of plastic wrap and allow the loaves to rise until doubled, about an hour.

9. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F degrees. When the loaves are ready, bake them for 25 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and place on heatproof surface.

10. Rub the tops of the rolls with butter and cover with a dish / tea towel for 10 minutes. The steam will prevent the hard crust from forming and give a delicious soft exterior. 

11. Serve warm or let the loaves cool before cutting crossways and add with your favourite sandwich fillings.