I use a sourdough starter with a 2:1 flour to water ratio, but I've added alternative quantities for the more common 1:1 starter in brackets. The sourdough here is used more for flavour than to raise the bread, so it doesn't have to be perfectly fresh, and there is enough flavour in the bread to use solely commercial yeast if you wanted to. Use a dark, rich roast coffee for this, I used an Indonesian blend. I'm sure this would also work well as a sweeter version, with honey and walnuts, but this is the original recipe.

Ingredients

290g (325g) strong white flour

75g strong wholemeal flour

4 cardamom pods, seeds only crushed in pestle and mortar

5g quick action yeast

10g salt

200g sourdough starter

300g (280g) brewed rich roast coffee, from cafetiere, aeropress or similar, left to cool to room temperature

Method

Brew coffee and leave to cool if you haven't already!

Combine flours, cardamom, yeast, starter and salt in a bowl. Rub in the sourdough starter (or add with the coffee, if using a liquid starter). Add the coffee, mix into a rough dough. Knead for around 10 minutes until it comes together into a nice dough.

Shape into a ball and leave to rest for an hour or more, until nearly doubled.

Turn out and shape into a boule, then place into a proving basket. Leave again for up to an hour, until risen, and preheat oven to the maximum temperature.

Add steam before scoring and transferring the loaf to the oven. Turn the oven down to 230C and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until done.