Add the cracked rye to a bowl and top with the hot water. Leave until the rye has absorbed the water and the mixture is lukewarm – around 30 minutes.

Measure out the milk and add a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice (or vinegar) to the milk – this will curdle the milk in around 15 minutes. A soured milk works best for bread making (because there is no sourdough in this bread, you need something sour).

Add the fresh yeast to a stand mixer and then add the lukewarm water and allow to dissolve. Add all other ingredients (salt last) and mix well for about 4-5 mins in a stand mixer, then cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for about an hour. It will look gloppy and porridge like.

Using a spoon, beat the air out of the mixture. Pour into a prepared bread tin (around 3lb / 1 ½ litre – if your tins are smaller, use 2 and adjust baking time) and leave to rise again for another hour (you can also leave to rise in the fridge overnight instead – if you plan on doing this, you can reduce the amount of yeast by half). It will not rise a lot, maybe only 25%.

Pre-heat the oven to 220C.

Just before baking, brush the top gently with water and prick the top of the bread all over with a fork, an inch below the surface – to allow the bread to stay level when baking and avoid the air pockets. Add the seeds all across the top.

Pop the bread in the hot oven and them immediate turn down to 180c – bake for approximately 1 hour, depending on your oven. Internal temp should be around 98+c, and the bread is ready.

Rye bread is always sticky when just baked. For best result, wrap in clingfilm and wait 24h before eating – or, at least until it has cooled down completely.

You can freeze this bread (but it does last a good 3-5 days after baking).