Most supermarket bread goes from flour to wrapper in about three and a half hours. It’s called the Chorleywood Bread Process, it was invented in the 1960s, and it’s how the overwhelming majority of British bread has been made ever since. A process that is optimised for speed, soft texture and shelf life at the expense of flavour and nutritional value.

Our process takes a minimum of 36 hours. That’s 10 times longer, measured from the moment we start the leaven to when the loaf leaves the oven.

We didn’t know any of this when we started. We found out while we were working out how to make our bread at scale, and it was genuinely shocking. Not because anyone has been fooled but because nobody’s told about how bread is really made, and there simply isn’t enough choice out there.

So we decided to make it ourselves. Better Bread is what happens when you stop optimising for shelf life and start optimising for the person eating it.

What is in our bread, and what isn’t

We said we’d be transparent, so here’s the whole thing.

Organic rye and wheat flour from Shipton Mill in Gloucestershire, who have been milling on the same Domesday-recorded site since 1979 and who work with farmers on regenerative, soil-first agriculture.

An organic seven-seed mix: golden linseed, brown linseed, sesame seeds, raw buckwheat, hulled millet, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.

Two sourdough starters, not one. A rye starter for depth of flavour, and a strong white starter for lift, because a dense loaf still needs to be a loaf and not a brick.

Fresh fruit and veg: grated carrot and apple go into each loaf adding more flavour, moisture and a bit of colour. You’ll notice the bright orange flecks in our bread and yes, it is carrot!

And the thing almost nobody else puts in bread: whole grain crystal barley malt. Husk and all. It’s more usually found in brewing and I have yet to come across a loaf that uses it. It’s where the deep maltiness comes from, and it does something to the texture that we haven’t been able to get any other way. It took around 15 attempts to get the quantity right. We also add in a pinch of salt and barley malt extract that adds to the unique depth of flavour.

Slow fermentation is key to our bread as it allows the flavours to develop and the grains to become something your body can easily work with.

What’s not in it: No improvers, no emulsifiers, no enzymes, no preservatives, no added sugar or fat.

What it actually tastes like

Fair warning: it’s denser than you’re used to. That’s deliberate, and it takes about two slices to recalibrate.

The slow ferment gives a gentle sourdough tang. The crystal barley malt brings maltiness and a bit of caramel. The rye brings nutty depth. Together it tastes like bread used to taste, before bread became a delivery mechanism for butter.

The Mother Loaf is the savoury original, our starting point. And it tastes great with everything you’d normally have on bread or toast. It also makes a brilliant open sandwich.

The Fruity One is best toasted, with loads of butter. It’s moreish and it’s filling, which is a rare combination. It has become the go to after-school snack in our homes, and it makes a breakfast that actually sees you through to lunchtime without any hunger pangs!

The Rye Pocket is our lunchbox superhero. Stuff it with meat, cheese, roasted veg, whatever’s in the fridge. Tasty, filling, and no soggy bottom by 12.30.

The Protein One uses pea flour to push the protein content up without compromising on flavour or texture, again this is great simply toasted with sweet or savoury toppings (I love a nut butter) or as an open sandwich.

What we’re claiming, and what we’re not

We’re bakers, not doctors, so here’s exactly what we know.

We’ve had this bread taste tested by over a hundred people, volunteers with the charity Planting Nature’s Corridors, over the three-month planting season. What they told us, in their words and not ours:

• This is bread that stops me reaching for something at 11am to keep me going
• Beautiful taste and more filling than I expected
• I really enjoy the taste, love the texture, not at all dry and I love all the seeds

Make of that what you will. We’d rather you tasted it and formed your own view.

Come and be part of it

We’re not a big company, and we don’t have a big company’s budget. What we do have is a recipe we believe in, a plan we’ve made public, and a very real need to sell some bread.

• We do a delicious discovery box with a bit of everything (which also makes for a great gift).
• Simply subscribe now for a 20% discount on your first 3 months and you’ll get Better Bread delivered directly to your door, as often as you like, from £4.50 per loaf plus delivery (overnight via DPD for £6).
• If you live near Huntingdon, you can also pick up your bread directly from our unit and save on the delivery costs.
• We have a full list of stockists on our website.

Once you have tried our bread, please give us some feedback: eatwell@betterbread.life

Better Bread: Better health. Better communities. Better planet.