Where can I get decent (real) bread?

I raise my bread by filling the kitchen sink with very hot water and taking a shelf out of the oven to put over the sink. The bread in a bowl sits on the shelf, with a clean teatowel laid over it and the shelf to hold in the heat. If the room is very cold, a thicker terry towel goes over that to keep it all from cooling. After the dough has been knocked back and shaped and is in the loaf tin or tins, it stands on the shelf until it is risen enough to put into the pre-heated oven. (The teatowel, and possibly a terry towel, gets returned to cover the shelf, to prevent the water from cooling down too fast while the dough is being shaped.)

This also gives you a sinkful of hot water to wash the preparation bowls and utensils in, so don't let it out too soon.

I put a thermometer in mine, when I had a tank of hot water, and the tank insulation is too efficient. 17C. I need 20C to 22C. When tanks leaked heat more, I used the airing cupboard for bread.

That is excellent thinking, Elegran. Mind you, my North facing kitchen is freezing, even with my upgraded double glazing, but maybe it would work. I'll have to check if the oven shelves will safely sit without dumping into the sink. Small oven, but small sink too.

Remember the old days when babies were bathed and washing was done in the kitchen sink? 2 plates plus a coffee mug sitting in the saucepan now.

Aely you could put the hot water in a large bowl standing in the sink. It might cool faster than a whole sinkful, but you could always replace it with new and hotter water.

We bring our dough into the sitting room in winter.
It's south facing so gets any sun available.
I just keep it till it's risen. It may take a few hours but does rise even on a cold day.

I'm a bit slap-happy with bread.
It will even rise overnight.
I think it works down to just a few degrees to be honest.

Ours is usually a sourdough.
I wonder if that's why it's not fussy?

Wow! Sainsbury's had some Ancient grains pavé today! A whisker away from being actually burnt, very deeply scored. Was considering the least scorched loaf, although not useful for sandwiches because of its shape, and checked the ingredients. It is sourdough.

Moved on to the flour, found 00, recommended to me as being of a lower gluten content. It was Dove's. Checked the incredients - added gluten! Unbelievable.

Italian flours are often 00

Asdas own small wholemeal loaf is excellent and I am very fussy about bread . I dont know why but the small loaves always seem better to me ? Like the lovely old hovis loaves .Maybe to do with oven temperature?

Our local Asda's loaves had a period of containing a central portion of uncooked dough, which is why I changed to Sainsbury or Waitrose. However, today I decided to try them again. Label definitely still shows no added gluten. Good.
I ended up buying a really crispy crusted large white. I have yet to try it. I was actually after a small wholemeal but no small loaves available and the wholemeal large was soft crusted and squidgy feeling. Too much added fat perhaps?