TIPS

• Prove the dough in a warm draft-free place. If the temperature in the kitchen is chilly, place the bowl of dough loosely covered in the oven (not turned on). Put a dish of boiling water onto the bottom shelf. The warmth and steam will help the dough to rise.

• To freeze baked loaves, cool bread as quickly as possible; pack in freezer bags and expel all air. Place in the freezer as soon as possible. It’s a good idea to slice the bread before you freeze it, that way you can take out as much as you need each time. Correctly wrapped bread can be frozen for up to 3 months.