1. Sift the white and whole-wheat flours into a large bowl. Add salt. Stir in the dried yeast, then make a well in the centre and pour in the tepid water. Using your hands, gradually draw the flour into the water, mixing well to make a dough.
2. Gather the dough into a ball that feels firm and leaves the sides of the bowl clean; if necessary, add a little more flour or a little more water.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a large, lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
4. Turn out the risen dough onto a floured work surface and knock it back with your knuckles. Gently knead the dough into a neat ball shape, then place it on a large greased baking sheet. Cover with a damp dish towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size again.
5. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Uncover the loaf and dust with a little whole-wheat flour, then make 4 slashes across the top with a small serrated knife. Bake for 35 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when removed from the sheet and tapped on the base.
6. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing. The basic loaf can be kept for up to 5 days.

PER SLICE

192 calories
7 g protein
1 g total fat
0.1 g saturated fat
0 mg cholesterol
38 g total carbohydrate
0.3 g sugars
4 g fibre
204 mg sodium

Stone-ground flour is milled by traditional methods, which keep the wheat grains cool and thus preserve almost all the nutrients in the whole grain.