A simple 40% rye loaf

11 August 2026

This is the bread I bake most weeks. It keeps for five days and tastes better on the second day than on the first.

Baking in a cast-iron pot

30 June 2026

A home oven loses its steam through the vent in minutes. A lidded cast-iron pot traps the moisture the dough releases, and that steam is what lets the loaf expand before the crust sets.

Why I proof in the fridge

19 May 2026

Proofing overnight at 4 °C solved two problems at once. The loaf fits around my working day, and the flavour is noticeably deeper.

What hydration really changes

2 April 2026

Hydration is the weight of water divided by the weight of flour. A 70% dough has 700 g of water per kilo of flour. The number is easy to calculate and easy to misread.

Building a starter from scratch

14 March 2026

A starter is flour, water and patience. I mix 50 g of wholemeal rye with 50 g of lukewarm water in a jar, cover it loosely and leave it on the counter. Rye ferments faster than white flour, which is why I begin with it.