Over the last few years I have been making bread using a slow-rise method I read about in the March/April 1994 issue of Eating Well magazine. The ingredients are simple enough – water, flour, salt, a little yeast, a little sugar. The result is a large loaf of French bread that tastes good, keeps well, is easy to make.

I have learned a few things about getting the most out of the recipe, in terms of texture and flavor.

• Don’t let the dough rise quickly. You really do want 10-12 hours of fermentation.
• Don’t under bake the loaf. Frankly, I have never baked the loaf so long that I wished I had removed it from the oven sooner.
• Remember the salt.
• Feel free to form it into whatever shape you like.