[jellly]

I agree with Phatch, that is a great recipe to start with. If you don't have a Dutch oven, you can split the dough and bake it in two loaf pans. I often double the recipe, then slice, wrap and freeze the extra bread and it holds great.
I think a good next step would be one of the breads from Shirley Corriher or Rose Levy Beranbaum. The recipes are well tested and clearly explained. You can probably find the books at your local library.