Sidbury Mill Easy Wholemeal Bread

1. Prepare two 450g (1lb) loaf tins or one 900g (2lb) loaf tins by greasing well and placing in a warm place.

2. To make by hand, measure the flour into a large bowl, add the yeast and salt, keeping them apart if possible. Add the butter and most of the water (keep a little back in case the dough is too wet). Mix together by hand or with a wooden spoon until you have a sticky dough, adding more water until the all the flour is incorporated. Now turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 mins until the dough is smooth and soft. If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook this will help you and should take about 5 – 10 minutes.

3. Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl, cover with some cling film or similar and place somewhere warm (around 25 oC is ideal) for 1 – 1.5 hours until well risen.

4. Remove from the warmth and tip onto a smooth floured work surface again, knock back the dough and knead again. Knead for around 3 – 5 mins by hand or put back in the stand mixer. Divide the dough into two (if using two tins) and make the dough into a fat sausage shape and place in the tin(s) with any fold underneath the dough. Making one long slash or 3 diagonal slashes in the loaf with a very sharp knife or ideally a bread lame. This will give a nice appearance and allow steam to escaped from the loaf as it cooks later. Place in a sealed bag allowing plenty of room for expansion above the tin, and then put back in the warm place to prove for 45 – 60 mins when it will have doubled in size again.

5. Five minutes before cooking put a heat proof bowl of hot water in your oven which has been preheated to 220 oC/fan 200 oC/Gas 7. The steam will help give a really light texture. Cook for 25 – 35 mins depending on the size of the tin, until evenly browned and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Remove from the tin(s) and allow to cool on a wire rack.