In a small measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until frothy ~ about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, measure the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the salt and mix together with the dough attachment. When the water is frothy, whisk together to absorb as much of the froth as possible. With the stand mixer on low, slowly pour the water along the edges of the bowl, pushing the flour down. If necessary, stop the mixer and dump the rest of the froth into the bowl.

Slowly turn the mixer up one speed at a time until the dough start to come together. You may have to stop the machine again and smash the ball of dough with the flakes on the bottom of the bowl. At this point, turn the speed of the mixer to medium high and drop 2 tablespoons of lard into the mixer. As the dough becomes smooth and fully incorporates the lard, turn the speed to high and let the machine work the dough for 10 to 15 minutes. Perform a windowpane test to see if the dough is ready. If it isn’t, let the machine continue to work the dough on high, performing another windowpane test after another 3 to 5 minutes.

Lightly grease a large, oven safe bowl with olive oil, wiping off any excess oil. Turn the oven on to 350°F and let it warm up for 2 minutes, then turn it off immediately. When the dough successfully passes the windowpane test, remove it from the bowl. Form it into a ball and place it into the greased bowl. Cover the bowl tightly and place in the oven. Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.

Once the dough has double in size, remove it from the bowl and knead it for about 30 seconds to remove any air bubbles. Form it into another ball. Place it on a piece of parchment paper and place inside of a Dutch oven. Cover and let stand for about 60 minutes until doubled in size again.

At around the 45 minute mark, preheat the oven to 450°F. At 60 minutes, gently remove the parchment paper from the Dutch oven to score the bread ~ or carefully score the bread inside the Dutch oven. Cover and place in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to bake for about an additional 8 minutes ~ or until golden and an internal temperature reads 190°F to 205°F.

Remove from the Dutch oven. Serve and slice immediately. Or let it cool on a wire rack then store it in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator until ready to use.

The bread will last about 2 weeks if kept refrigerated.

Enjoy!