DAN's PUMPERNICKEL BREAD

An excellent recipe kindly provided by Dan Coffey - a Shipton Mill Flour enthusiast and obviously a baker of some talent. Please read the recipe all the way through before starting.

MOTHER STARTER

This makes 360g of starter which will give you some left over for the next batch if you want to continue feeding it daily. Make this starter in a medium bowl with plenty of room for it to expand. Keep it covered with cling film. For the first few days, the starter will smell pretty terrible - this is normal and is nothing to be worried about.

DAY 1 : Mix 50g Dark Rye flour and 70g warm water

DAY 2 : Add 25g Dark Rye flour and 35g warm water

DAY 3 : Add 25g Dark Rye flour and 35g warm water

DAY 4 : Add 25g Dark Rye flour and 35g warm water

DAY 5 : Add 25g Dark Rye flour and 35g warm water

SOAKED RYE

This should make exactly the correct amount of soaked rye for this recipe, so simply use all of it on Day 6. Keep it covered with cling film.

DAY 1 : Mix 130g Cracked Rye, 65g treacle or molasses and 65g warm water

DAY 2 : stir

DAY 3 : stir

DAY 4 : Add 6g Caraway Seeds (1 1/2 teaspoons) and stir

DAY 5 : stir

DAY 6 - BAKING DAY

500g Dark Rye flour

250g Mother Starter

250g Soaked Rye

250g warm water

15g salt

Reserve your remaining starter for your next loaf

1. Mix all the above ingredients into a dough, either by hand or using a stand mixer. It will be quite firm and sticky

2. Allow to stand for ONE HOUR

3. Generously oil a two-pound (large) loaf tin

4. Tip the dough into the tin and spread it out flat - it should come to about half way up the tin. A wet spatula will help flatten the top of the loaf

5. Cover with cling film and allow to stand for FOUR HOURS or until the centre of the dough has risen to near the top of the tin (it should get to within an inch of the top depending on the size of your tin)

6. Preheat your oven to 180C

7. Cover the top of your bread tin tightly with tin foil

8. Take a large roasting pa and put the bread tin into it. Fill with boiling water to about 3/4 up the sides of the roasting pan and carefully place in the oven

9. Bake for FOUR HOURS, topping up the water level every hour

10. The slow baking will caramelise the sugars present in the loaf and create a dark crumb and rich flavour

11. When the cooking time is up, remove from the oven, run a spatula round the sides, tip out the loaf and transfer it to a wire rack to cool

12. Once fully cool, place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 3-4 days before slicing thinly

This loaf should keep a few weeks refrigerated or indefinitely in the freezer.