Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients, kneading to form a smooth dough.

Allow the dough to rise, in a lightly greased, covered bowl, until it doubles in size, approximately 90 minutes.

Gently divide the dough in half (it will deflate a little bit).

Gently shape the dough into two oval loaves; or, for longer loaves, two 10" to 11" logs. Place the loaves on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. (Or see option below for one loaf in Dutch oven or La Cloche).

Cover and let rise until very puffy, about 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.

Spray the loaves with lukewarm water. Make two fairly deep diagonal slashes in each with a serrated bread knife (best blade for doing this task easily).

Bake the loaves for 25 to 30 minutes, until they are a deep golden brown. Remove from oven, and cool on a wire rack.

Option:
For a brick oven effect, instead of dividing the dough into two separate loaves, shape it into one large ball and place in the base of a round covered stoneware baker, dutch oven, or La Cloche. Put the lid on, and let the loaf rise for 1 hour. Make two slashes on top of the bread, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, removing the lid of the baker for the final 5 minutes of baking.