Paul Hollywood’s easy white bread recipe the bread bowl you step by step how to make bread that’s crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. If you’re new to making bread, this one’s great for beginners.

Bread can be bought ready-made or be homemade. Supermarkets and shops stock more varieties than they used to, but specialist bakeries or markets will sell more interesting varieties. A baked loaf placed in the refrigerator will stale much more quickly than one left at room temperature, so keep bread in a bread bin at room temperature for 1-2 days, wrapped in wax paper. Bread loaves can be wrapped and frozen for up to three months. Whether it is fully baked or part-baked, freeze baked bread as soon as it has cooled to avoid the crumb drying out.

Wrap well, and slice first if that’s more convenient. It won’t harm the bread as long as it’s been tightly wrapped. If serving bread that was frozen straight after baking and has only been frozen for up to a week, simply defrost it as usual. To reheat fully baked frozen breads use the following times and temperatures as a guide, but always make sure the centre of the bread is piping hot when you remove the bread from the oven.