Basic French Bread

In a large bowl dissolve yeast in the water, add the sugar and let sit 5 min until it starts to foam. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir into a shaggy mass. Scrape onto a lightly floured board or stone, and kneed 8 to 10 min., adding more flour as needed to get a smooth, elastic dough. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic. Let it sit at room temperature to double, 45 min to 1 hr. Punch, re-shape and rise again to double, 30 to 45 min. To bake: 400 degrees, 30 to 40 min. The bread should be deeply golden, and sound hollow by tapping on the bottom.