Jane Perrone over at Horticultural shared the news that she can't remember ever having baked bread!
So to encourage all bread virgins to have a go (even if there's a baker in the house already) here's a recipe I first read as Doris Grant's Loaf in Garden Organic's Organic Way magazine.
It's a sure-fire one to get you started, there's no kneading and you'll get a dense and satisfying loaf every time.
You'll need two pounds of wholemeal flour. I use flour ground by Lurgashall Mill at the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum near Chichester. Add a pinch of salt to the flour. Measure two teaspoons of dried yeast into a glass and add an inch or two of luke warm water, a pinch of sugar, stir and let it froth up - about five minutes. Add to the bowl, mix with flour and then gradually mix in about a pint of warm water. You may use a tad more or less but keep mixing until the dough leaves the side of the bowl - its a fairly wet dough. Form it into a ball and with a sharp knife cut in half if using two, one pound, loaf tins. Press the dough down to shape and fill them and let stand, covered with a towel, until the bread rises just above the top of the tin but not over it, if you don't want a loaf with 'muffin tops' like in the picture!
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C/400F for 40 - 45 minutes. Remove to cool on a rack. Goes well with most things and is delicious lightly toasted and topped with thick cut ham and a generous spread of Dijon mustard.