Personally I just love all kinds of bread, whether it is a fresh crusty white baguette, or a heavy dark pumpernickel. This wholegrain recipe fits somewhere in between the two, so hopefully should appeal to virtually everyone.

The most amazing thing about wholemeal bread is that it is one of very few areas where gourmets and doctors are in agreement about something. Wholemeal bread not only tastes better, but is also much better for you.

The difference between wholemeal and white bread is in the way that the wheat is treated once it’s been harvested. With white bread, the flour is milled only from the central core of the grain (the endosperm), whereas with wholemeal flour the whole grain is used (endosperm and bran).

This recipe is really simple, the only thing you have to make any effort with is the kneading, and you will always end up with a fantastic bread. Don’t try to cut down on the kneading or rising times because it will affect the quality of the bread a lot.

Don’t expect a light fluffy loaf at the end of this. It’s going to be heavier and denser than the white or wholemeal loaf that you buy in the supermarket, but it’s supposed to be like that. It’s a simple but full of flavour loaf with a lovely texture, I believe the current trendy term would be ‘rustic’

Basic wholemeal bread

1. Mix together the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl.

2. Add the water and mix it into the dry ingredients (the water should be hand warm).

3. When it is roughly mixed, add the oil and mix it in.

4. Knead the dough until it feels smooth and pliable

5. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave it to rise in a warm draught free place for about an hour. By this time it should have roughly doubled in size.

6. Empty the dough onto a lightly floured worksurface and knead it firmly for about 10 minutes.

7. Shape the dough into a loaf and put it onto either a baking sheet, that has either been oiled or covered with baking paper.

8. Cover and leave the dough in a warm place to rise for the second time. Leave it for about 25 minutes.

9. Pop the loaf into a pre-heated oven at 220°C for about 35 minutes.

Leave it to cool for a few minutes before you cut it, then do whatever your heart desires with it. I love thick slices of it still warm from the oven, and spread with plenty of slightly salted butter.