Ingredients

Starter:

50g wholemeal rye or spelt flour.

200g strong white bread flour

250ml spring or filtered water

Sponge;

400g sourdough starter

300g strong white bread flour

300ml spring or filtered water

Bread;

500g sponge (reserve the rest for your next loaf)

400g strong white bread flour

190ml spring or filtered water

This makes a very loose dough which makes a good loaf. Feel free to add more flour if you want to make a thicker dough

1. Mix 50g of wholemeal rye or spelt flour with 50ml of spring or filtered water (chlorine in tap water will kill the yeast).

2. Cover with a cloth and leave out (not in the fridge) for two to four days by which time bubbles should have appeared.

3. Add 50g of strong white bread flour and another 50ml of spring or distilled water and mix well.

4. Repeat this process every day for four more days. Your starter should now be bubbling away.

5. Mix 400g of your starter with 300g of strong white bread flour and 300g of spring or filtered water.

6. Mix well in a large bowl and cover with clingfilm or a plastic bag.

7. The following morning your sponge should be very active. Remove 400g and place in a sealed jar in the fridge and reserve for your next loaf of bread.

8. Add 400g of strong bread flour to the remaining sponge along with 190g of spring or filtered water and 12g of salt. Mix well and knead for approximately 13 minutes by hand or eight minutes using a dough hook in a mixer.

9. Cover the bowl with clingfilm or cover with a plastic bag and leave it to rise at room temperature. Between 2 to 4 hours later it should have doubled in volume.

10. Knead your dough again on a well-floured surface briefly to knock the air out of it.

11. Shape the dough into a round loaf shape and flour it well. Place it into a clean bowl and cover then place it in the fridge over night to rise slowly.

12. The following day pre-heat your oven as hot as it will go. Place your dough into a suitably sized loaf tin. This can be tricky, so lightly oil the tin, or line with greaseproof paper to avoid sticking.

13. Slash the top of your loaf a few times with a sharp knife and bake for approximately 40 minutes until your loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.

14. Allow it cool for 30 minutes.