This is the loaf that gets us through the dark months. Dense, sour and dark brown, it keeps for a week wrapped in a cloth and honestly tastes better on day four than on day one.

What you need

Rye flour, a little wheat for structure, water, salt, a spoon of honey and a lively sourdough starter. Crushed rye grains and seeds if you like texture. No mixer: rye dough is more like thick mud than bread dough, and a wooden spoon is the right tool.

Mix the night before and leave it covered somewhere warm. In the morning it should smell sharp and have risen by a third. Scrape it into a greased tin, smooth the top with a wet hand and let it rise again for an hour or two.

The hard part is waiting

Bake it low and slow, about an hour and a half, until it sounds hollow. Then wrap it and leave it alone for a full day before cutting. Cut too early and it will be gummy. Wait, and you get thin, firm slices that carry butter, cheese and fish all winter.