If you have a bread maker:

  1. add the water, salt, sugar, herbs, oil, flour and yeast/sourdough starter IN THAT ORDER to the bread maker's container.
    • You must add them in that order, or at least water first else the mixture will not mix correctly.
  2. set the bread maker to its "dough" setting and set it going - job done!
    (P.S. you can just use this same recipe as a regular bread too - just set the bread maker to the regular "bread" mode)
  3. At this point I normally transfer the dough to a suitable container and cover it to let it rise.

Without a bread maker:

  1. add the flour, salt, sugar, herbs and yeast/sourdough starter to the large mixing bowl and dry mix them all together.
  2. form a well in the middle of the flour mixture and slowly pour in the water bit by bit, mixing the flour mixture into the water as you go
  3. continue to mix the flour and water mixture, you're going to need to use your hands, but give it a good mix until everything is mixed together well.
    • you want the dough to still be a bit wet, so if it's dry, add a bit more water
  4. dust the large chopping board with flour and turn out the wet-ish dough ball onto the board.
  5. Knead the dough, a lot! Just keep kneading, adding more flour if necessary.
    • As you knead you'll noticed the dough ball become more smooth and springy, but it will also feel "stronger"
  6. Once the ball is nice and firm, but still springy, place it into a suitable container and cover to let it rise.

After a few hours of rising time (longer if you're using sourdough starter) your dough will, hopefully, have risen enormously. You can now use it. I'll be adding recipes for pizzas, naans and other things that use this dough here, eventually.