The first trick is to get a supply of strong white flour. Not standard cake flour. The main trick is patience and a warm room. It's all about nurturing the yeast.

I am going to write the recipe like a Victorian, not giving quantities, because making small batches is easier on the arms, but it is messy, making large quantities depends on the size of one's oven and also how much time one has to bake multiple oven-loads.

Start a tablespoon sized piece of yeast, or the dried granules, with a little warm liquid that is sweetened. Milk will do at a pinch, (but I don't like the smell when it is yeasted) - honey or molasses is good. After ten minutes or so the mixture should be frothing. Add a handful of flour and mix to a saucey consistency - like a smooth paste. Wait for another ten minutes. Now add the liquid for the main recipe,(should be like comfortable (not too hot) bath temperature when testing with your finger). Stir it all up and start adding flour in stages.

For reference the ratio is about 3:1 flour to water - depending on how high the moisture content of the air is around you.

First mix the dough to a porridge consistency, and let it double in size. Now add flour and any salt (or kelp), and mix to a stringy dough. At this point the mixing-stick or wooden spoon can go - dump the dough on a floured bench and use hands to keep just dusting the flour in. One hand for dry flour and one folding and mixing. Have patience, the flour goes in by small handfuls at this point. Knead. After a while the dough will feel springy and alive. Twenty minutes of pure exercise. Now, the lump should be left to rise with a floured cloth over it.

Preheat oven to hot 450 deg.

Knead again and shape into buns, loaves, knots, whatever takes your fancy. One can flatten the loaves into flat-breads and cook on a griddle at a pinch, or as a taster, while waiting, because everyone will be going crazy at this point.

Rise the loaves 15 minutes or so (and flatbreads) again and bake.

The first trick is to get a supply of strong white flour. Not standard cake flour. The main trick is patience and a warm room. It's all about nurturing the yeast.

I am going to write the recipe like a Victorian, not giving quantities, because making small batches is easier on the arms, but making large quantities depends on the size of one's oven and also how much time one has to bake multiple oven-loads, which I did for years - so I timed bake-day twice a week. I used to have a four-gallon bucker for the dough. A lid is useful as it can contain the heat a little. Also, you need a hickory broom handle cut to about a foot-long as a mixing stick. A wooden spoon is ok for now, but they tend to break.

Start a tablespoon sized piece of yeast, or the dried granules, with a little warm liquid that is sweetened. Milk will do at a pinch, but I don't like the smell when it is yeasted - honey or molasses is good. After ten minutes or so the mixture should be frothing. Add a handful of flour and mix to a saucey consistency - like a smooth paste. Wait for another ten minutes. Now add the liquid for the main recipe,(should be like comfortable (not too hot) bath temperature when testing with your finger). Stir it all up and start adding flour in stages.

For reference the ratio is about 3:1 flour to water - depending on how high the moisture content of the air is around you.

First mix the dough to a porridge consistency, and let it double in size. Now add flour and any salt or kelp, and mix to a stringy dough. At this point the stick can go, the dough is dumped on a floured bench and hands need to keep just dusting the flour in. Fold and knead. Twenty minutes of pure exercise. Now, the lump should rise with a floured cloth over it.

Shape into buns, loaves, whatever takes your fancy. One can flatten the loaves into flat-breads and cook on a griddle at a pinch.