Over the course of a year, Robert Penn learns how to sow, harvest, thresh and mill his own wheat, in order to bake bread for his family. In returning to this pre-industrial practice, he tells the captivating story of our relationship with bread: from the domestication of wheat in the Fertile Crescent at the dawn of civilization, to the rise of mass-produced loaves and the resurgence in home baking today. Drawing on the wisdom of farmers and traditional bakers from around the world – from the Welsh mountains to the Great Plains of the USA – Penn reconnects the joy of making and eating bread with a deep appreciation for the skill and patience required to cultivate its key ingredient. This timely reminder of the real cost of great-tasting bread celebrates the everyday miracle of an ancient craft.