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Fab white loaf with wholemeal and rye

Ingredients:

For the poolish: 110g warm water, 110g strong organic white stoneground flour, 1/8 teaspoon fresh yeast

For the dough: 232g warm water, 1/4 teaspoon fresh yeast, 312g strong organic white stoneground flour, 27g organic rye flour, 27g organic wholemeal flour, 9g salt, 1/2 teaspoon honey, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.

Make the poolish by dissolving the fresh yeast in the warm water, add the flour, whisk to a paste and leave covered at room temperature for 8-12 hours. It will be ready when the surface has loads of bubbles on top.

Making the bread

Mix the salt with the flour. In a separate bowl mix the fresh yeast with the warm water and honey and dissolve both. Add this to the poolish. Add the flour to this mixture and when all the flour is incorporated, add the olive oil. Knead on a table for 10 minutes - it will feel wet and sticky but this will improve and by the end of the kneading it will start to pull together and feel smoother. Leave covered for 20 minutes. Knead again for 1 minute. Leave to rise, in a lightly oiled and covered bowl, for about 1 hour 15 minutes, by which time it should be well risen.

Pour out the dough on to a baking sheet with a sheet of baking paper on it lighty covered in flour, gently stretch the dough and fold over on itself from the sides. Repeat this process to spread the bubbles in the dough. Then gently shape in to a round or oval with the smooth side up. Cover with a bowl and leave to rise for about 30 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 240C and put a baking tray in the oven.

When the dough has risen, slash the top, slide the bread in to the oven, pour a cup of water in to the baking tray to create steam, and turn the oven down to 200C. Bake for about 35-40 minutes until the loaf is brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the base.

Makes fabulous toast, and great for chicken sarnies with salad and mayo!