Whole-grain loaf from hand-harvested wheat

Harvest when the grains have reached full size and the plants have dried down most of the way; test a grain by crushing it with a thumbnail. Do not leave it so long that the heads shatter.

Cut the stems a few at a time with a knife or clippers (lodged wheat cannot be cut with a sickle), straighten them and stack them into shocks.

Dry the cut wheat in the sun until brittle, about a week, so the heads break apart easily.

Thresh on a flat threshing floor: bash, step on and grind the heads against the ground. Sweep up; the seeds sink to the bottom and the straw is lifted off the top.

Winnow by dropping the wheat in front of a fan so the hulls and bits of straw blow away; repeat several times.

Screen out anything bigger than a kernel with a pizza screen, then anything smaller (sand) with a fine sieve.

Grind the grain to coarse whole wheat flour in a blender.

Knead the dough and make a loaf.