(Makes about 800 g dough for a one-kilo loaf)

500 g bread flour
2 tsps salt
2 tsps fast-action, easy-blend yeast granules
2 tbsps olive oil
Generous 300 ml warm water

In a bowl mix the dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre, and pour in the liquid ingredients. Draw the flour into the centre and mix well, until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. You can, of course, make the dough in a food processor.

Turn onto a floured surface and knead for eight to 10 minutes. Then proceed with the recipe above, mixing in the onions and cheese. To make a loaf of bread, shape the dough, and put it into a lightly greased one-kilo loaf tin or shape into a round, slashing the top in a couple of places with a sharp knife, and place on a baking sheet.

Cover loosely with a damp tea towel or lightly oiled clingfilm, and let it rise in a moderately warm place for about an hour until doubled in size. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200˚C, gas mark 6, for about 30 minutes. Turn the loaf onto a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

Cook’s note
This simple basic recipe has many variations, but, in developing your own recipes, remember the proportions: 1 tsp salt to approximately 250 g flour; and approximately three parts liquid to five parts flour (although this will depend to some extent on how humid the day is and the absorption properties of the flour). Half a kilo of flour will make 12 to 18 bread rolls; these will bake at the same temperature in about 15 minutes.

Mix wholemeal and white flour for a different loaf, and experiment with additions of other grains and seeds, such as sunflower and sesame. If you make an entirely wholemeal loaf, you will find you need to add a little more water. Herbs, chopped olives, diced and fried pancetta, chopped sun-dried tomatoes and nuts can also be added for variety.