A loaf of bread means different things to different people. It's at once the centrepiece of the family table, it's the source of the demon gluten, the reassuring heft of an artisan sourdough, or the fluffy comfort of a white sandwich loaf – it's the best thing since... well, sliced bread. This is NOT a book about how to make bread. No kneading, no rising, no baking. Loaf Story is a food book about bread – not just the role it plays in people’s lives all over the world, but how it has been adapted and used in so many dishes. It is food of poverty and yet now we routinely pay big money for an artisanal loaf. Why does it have such a hold on us?