This makes moist, tasty long thin loaves. The texture is quite dense, but feels nice and light and the flavour is not unlike sourdough but is also has a lovely nutty-ness. It improves with freezing and toasts nicely. It doesn’t involve lots of kneading and working the dough, though the overnight bit is vital as sugar isn’t used to kick start the bread making chemical process. You will need either non stick silicone sheets or parchment paper (we use the former which is how it is described in the following recipe) . We use Bacheldre Organic Stoneground Rye Flour with Leckford Estate Strong White Flour. Both are available in Waitrose

3 heaped tsps fast acting yeast

200g rye flour

400g strong white flour

3 tsps salt

200mls cold water

200mls milk

100g of melted butter

small amount of groundnut oil (or other light oil)

• The night before you want to bake the bread, put the yeast, salt, white flour and rye flour in a large bowl. Mix together well. Mix together the water, milk and melted butter. Pour into the flour and mix into a soft sticky dough. Don’t knead it, just cover with cling film and place in the fridge overnight for at least 8 and no more than 14 hours

• The next day, remove the dough from the bowl and knead for 30 seconds on a lightly floured surface. Return to the bowl and allow to sit at room temperature, covered with a clean teatowel for 15 to 30 minutes

• Divide the dough into two equal portions. With each half do the following:-

• Put a lightly floured silicone sheet on your work surface, then flour your hands as the dough is very sticky. Pull the dough out of the bowl, and place on the silicone sheet. Press it out until it is quite thin, and approximately 15cm across and 18 to 20cm long. Then tightly roll it up as if you were making a swiss roll. Gently roll this back and forth 10 to 15 times making sure that with the final roll the seam is on the bottom and that you pinch the ends to make the loaf pointed at each end

• Place the silicone paper and loaf on a baking tray (bearing in mind that it will expand by at least 50%). Brush with ground nut oil and wrap in cling film or a clean plastic bag. Leave in warm place for at least two and a half hours

• Heat the oven to 220C/Gas mark 6 – 7. Lightly dust the top of the loaf with flour and cut a 1cm slash with a very sharp knife along the side of the loaf. Place immediately in oven. Bake for 25-40 minutes (according to your oven) until dark golden brown. The test for whether it’s cooked or not is to take it out and knock the underside with your knuckles, if it makes no real noise it’s not done and should go back in immediately, if it makes a hollow knocking noise, it’s done

• When fully baked, place it on a wire rack to cool for a good 15 to 20 minutes before giving in to temptation