When you set out to produce a food called 'the staff of life' you know you're embarking on a worthwhile adventure.

Bread has the reputation of being hard to make. Perhaps that's why it's so satisfying once you've done it. And the smell of bread baking is a rare perfume.

Okay - take your confidence in hand and let's go.

Assemble the utensils first.

I like old fashiond crockery bowls and sometimes use one for making bread. But just as often I use a large stainless steel bowl. Whatever suits the moment.

So - a bowl, a wooden spoon, a measuring cup - that's it.

Here are the ingredients:

• 2 tbsp dry yeast (regular, not rapid mix)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• tbsp salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• all purpose flour - 8 or more cups

Rinse the bowl in hot water to take off the chill.

Put 1 cup of nicely warm water in the bowl - the temperature of the water is important, the water should feel warm. Lukewarm water sounds anemic and will likely be too cool to get a rise out of anything.

So, put the 1 cup goodly warm water in, mix around the 1 tsp sugar, then feel the water and make sure it still feels quite warm. Add a bit of hot water if it needs to be toastier. Then sprinkle on the yeast, give a swish, and leave for about ten minutes or until frothy.

When the yeast is bubbly add 2 more cups of warm water (lukewarm is fine here). Add the 1/4 cup white sugar, the salt and the oil. Mix all together.

Now start adding the flour. Dump in 3 cups to start, mix, then add another 2, then 1 at a time and keep stirring until it gets too thick for the spoon. Roll up your sleeves, dust your hands with flour, and plunge in, mixing more flour into the dough in the bowl. You don't want a dry dough or a sticky one. Sort of like the play dough we used in kindergarten.

When it's a nice lump turn it out of the bowl onto a lightly floured table top (counters are not really the right height for kneading). Scrape out the bowl and put it to soak (or get someone to wash it for you and have it ready for the rising - the promise of a slice of freshly baked bread is usually enough a motivation).

Now - prepare to knead. Flex your wrists a bit, smile at the camera (baking is more fun if it's a performance). It sets the mood.

Go to it! The idea is to keep the dough lightly floured so you can work with it and not have it ALL stick to your hands, wrists, elbows (at which time the phone will ring). Pat the dough into a a flattish round, fold it in half toward you and push down into it with the palms and wrists; give the dough a half turn, fold again, push down, repeat, repeat, repeat....

You can get into quite a rhythm - dough is very satisfying to work with. It also can be therapeutic so experiment with thinking positively when you're kneading and see what occurs. Or try chanting. A good day Saturday for the wedding....a good day Saturday for the wedding....

After a time the dough will become smooth and elastic - it takes five to fifteen minutes of kneading depending on how fast you work, how much you fold, how you are holding your mouth (or so I'm told - you'll have to test the truth of this for yourself) etc. Don't skimp on the kneading but don't make it your life's work.

When you feel it is ready put a tablespoon or two of oil in the cleaned bowl (which should be about twice as big as the lump of dough) and drop the dough into the bowl. Use the dough to give the oil a good spread around and oil both the bowl and dough at once. Now turn the dough over so the oily side is on top.

Cover the bowl with a tea towel or put in a plastic bag. Put in a warm place to rise.

At times I put the dough into a barely warmed up oven - make sure towel or plastic does not come into contact with a still hot heating element - oh, the voice of experience! Close oven door. Or park the bowl in a sunny window. Or near a heating vent.

Leave for about an hour. The dough should be nice and puffy. Stick a finger into it to about the second knuckle. If the dent stays in the dough once you have taken your finger out (okay, this may be insulting your intelligence but the first time I did this I found myself staring at my finger still sticking into the dough and would have felt less silly if the instructions had been as detailed as mine are!) then the dough has risen enough. If the dent fills in, let it rise longer.

Now - the fun part - shaping the loaves. This recipe will make three traditional loaves so for a first time I'd go with this kind of shaping.

Punch down the risen dough - it should easily and satisfyingly deflate (the satisfaction is on our part: the bread's emotions are ponderable, I suppose). Let it rest for a moment while you oil three loaf tins (standard size is 5 x 10).

Divide the dough into three equal pieces. I cut mine with a bread knife.

If you don't have three loaf tins, (and why would you if this is your first time making bread), then make one loaf for the tin you will have (everyone has at least one bread tin) and make two large 'buns' for the other loaves.

To shape a standard loaf do this - pat the dough into a rectangle. Turn in the ends until the dough is the length to fit the bread pan, scrunch firmly to incorporate, then fold in sides until it is the width of the pan and scrunch firmly again (you don't want seams in the middle of your loaf). Turn the dough over and put smoothly rounded side up in your pan. Make two more loaves same way or make the two buns by forming bun shapes and placing on oiled cake pans (8 or 9 inch will be fine). Or on a cookie sheet. Leave room to rise around each bun loaf.

Let the loaves rise, covered with towel or plastic, until puffy and about doubled in size. In a standard loaf pan they will be rounded above the rim of the pan and starting to assume an honest to goodness bread shape. Bun loaves will be, well, bun'ny. Don't poke a finger to test this time. But - should something happen to deflate one at this stage - simply punch it down and form it into another loaf and let it rise a second time. This won't hurt and may make it even nicer.

When the loaves are risen put into a 400 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes. You can put them into a cold over and then put on the heat; adjust baking time if you do this. I prefer a bottom shelf - makes a crispier crust.

Take the baked bread from the oven, turn over onto a rack (it should fall easily from the pan) and tap the bottom of the loaf. If it is nicely browned and sounds hollow the bread is done. It it sounds doughy or looks too pale put in back in the oven for another five minutes or so. Bread is pretty sturdy after a bit of baking.

That's it - you've made bread! Give a tremendous bow. You should wait until it cools before tasting it (it slices better), but you won't be able to wait so go ahead and enjoy. A hot from the oven 'heel' of bread dripping with melted butter is one of life's joys.

And good luck with expanding your bread repertoire - bread can be made with many kinds of flour, added to, coloured, sweetened, shaped, braided, enriched, etc. etc. etc.

Copyright©1996 The Fallen Vegetarian Cookbook (in progress)