Country sourdough loaf

This is our everyday loaf and the one we eat at home. We make it with a sourdough starter that lives in the corner of the bakery, fed twice a day with stone-milled flour from a mill we like. Long, slow fermentation gives it the open crumb you want for soaking up soup and the dark, chewy crust you want for toast.

It's baked at 240°C in our deck oven, slipped onto a stone, steamed for the first ten minutes, then left to colour up properly. A loaf will keep three or four days at room temperature in a paper bag, or freeze it after a day and reheat from the freezer.

Best for

• Cheese and pickles, sat with a beer
• Eggs on toast, with too much butter
• Soaking up Sunday roast gravy
• Tearing into chunks and serving warm with olive oil