Add 500g of mixed strong wholemeal and white bread flour to a bowl

I use a varying mixture of both flours depending on exactly how brown a loaf I fancy (50/50 is good, a bit like the homegrown version of Mighty White loaves but much nicer… how old am I?)

Then add a sachet of yeast, 10g of salt, 15ml of rapeseed oil and 335ml of warm water

Give it a good stir before turning out onto the counter and kneading for 15 minutes.  Without sounding nauseating, try and enjoy the kneading rather than look on it as a hassle; I’m sure you can taste the difference in bread that results…

Sprinkle a bit of flour over the dough before leaving in a warm place, the bowl covered with a tea towel

In an hour the dough should have risen – give it a quick knead again, and this time put into your loaf tin lined with greaseproof paper.  Leave to rise for an hour again, covered with a tea towel

Pre-heat your oven to 240˚c – put the bread in and (carefully) throw a mug of water into the oven to create some steam (try to avoid throwing the water directly over the bread… although I have done this, and it wasn’t a total disaster).  After 15 minutes, turn the temperature down to 200˚c and put the timer on for 30 – 35 minutes by which point the bread should be done (should sound hollow when you give it a knock on the bottom of the loaf)

Leave for at least half an hour before trying to cut the loaf.  This brown bread is especially lovely with cold chicken sandwiches – also strawberry jam (the Tiptree kind) but not at the same time