Farmers' bread

It is a rustic-style loaf, often with a thick crust and a close, hearty crumb; recipes may use wheat flour alone or mix it with rye or other grains. The name describes a style rather than one fixed recipe.

Keep it in a bread bin or paper bag at room temperature, with the cut side facing down on a board. Avoid the fridge, which makes bread go stale faster.

Yes. Slice it first, freeze the slices in a sealed bag, and toast them straight from frozen; for a whole loaf, thaw it at room temperature before warming it.

Lightly dampen the crust and warm the loaf in an oven at 180 °C for about 8–10 minutes. Let it rest briefly before slicing so the crumb settles.

Its sturdy crumb is good for thick soups and stews, and it holds up well in open sandwiches with cheese, smoked fish or roasted vegetables. Toasted slices also work well with eggs.

Use a country-style loaf or a country-style French bread for sandwiches and toast. For a denser, more sour flavour, a rye loaf is a better alternative.

Farmers’ bread has 4.8 g of fibre per 100 g, compared with 4.3 g in country-style French bread.