our the warm water over yeast in the bowl.

Whisk together and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

The mixture should be frothy and foamy after 5 minutes.

Mix together the sugar, salt, olive oil and 3/4 of the flour.

Once mixed add the rest of the flour.

Mix on a low speed, with a dough hook for about 5 minutes, or knead by hand.

The dough should be thick and pull away from the sides of the bowl as it mixes.

Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball.

Place into a large greased bowl.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it somewhere warm until it has doubled in size.

It has been cold lately so I preheated an oven to  200°F (93°C) then turned the oven off and place the bowl inside the warm oven.

Once doubled in size, punch down the dough to release any air bubbles.

Remove dough from the bowl and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.

Using a sharp knife or dough scraper, cut into 6 even pieces.

Form each into a large ball.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place 3 dough balls onto each.

Cover lightly and set aside to rest for 20 minutes as the oven preheats.

Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).

Brush each dough ball with egg wash and, using a sharp knife, score an X into the tops of each.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool until ready to handle.