If you’re a keen baker and love making bread, you may already have Bread Matters by Andrew Whitley in your collection. It’s one of my favourite books for inspiration, or when something goes wrong. The simplicity of a loaf of bread is staggering. Andrew was a founder of the Real Bread Campaign and Scotland The Bread, an organisation aimed at encouraging us to grow more grain to make our own bread.

I’ve known Andrew for many years, and he’s a good friend. This copy was signed by him, and it always makes me smile, reminding me of a wonderful evening at Cafe with Slow Food and Andrew a few years ago. We ate good food, gathered around big tables, chatting about food, but mostly about bread.

The book is filled with recipes, many of which need to be read several times before starting, as some require a few days’ work—like beginning a leaven or mother starter to make the bread rise using the natural yeasts in the flour itself, rather than relying on chemical rising agents like baker’s yeast or bicarbonate of soda. It still fascinates me that a good, proper loaf of bread requires only flour, water, and salt—nothing else. That’s one of the reasons Andrew wrote this book: to spread the word about good baking and thoughtful ingredient choices.

My copy is well-worn and has been with me for years. I refer to it often, especially for the troubleshooting section, which offers solutions to many common sourdough problems. I’m also fortunate enough to be a judge for the Scottish Bread Championships every year, which is great fun and organised by Andrew.

If making a sourdough loaf has been on your mind but you’ve never tried it, buy this book and give it a go.