If you have the time, there’s nothing quite like making your own bread. There’s something therapeutic about kneading the dough and watching it rise, then knocking it back and kneading it all over again. And the good thing about living in a hot climate is leaving the dough to rise is easy. The hunt for a warm spot to place the bowl doesn’t happen, simply leave it on the kitchen bench and the process is complete in no time at all.
Buying bread drives me crazy. My options are fairly limited if I just want to pop into the local shops. Its either mass produced bread in plastic bags from the supermarket, or supporting the local bakery (a franchise of a large chain). Neither option is very inspiring. What’s on sale in both locations is bread that is super light and super spongy. They try and trick you with the inclusion of grains, but the bread is still super spongy. You know the one – it goes from being 2cm thick to flat under the slightest pressure.
Child 4, Claudia, is currently on university holidays… and bored. This fabulous loaf of bread is a result of her hard work. In fact, if there is bread being made in our kitchen, she is the one doing it. This loaf has the density missing from supermarket bread, which means it takes a little (I mean, a lot) longer to toast. It’s particularly good with vegemite or avocado, and one slice is extremely satisfying. No rushing back to the fridge in an hour because you’re hungry.
This recipe, adapted from Reversing Diabetes (Dr Alan Barclay), was meant to be made with a combination of wholemeal and rye flour. We searched for rye flour to no avail, so ended up using all wholemeal flour, which worked really well. Nothing beats eating bread that’s been made at home. Give it a go!
Enjoy!
Form the dough into a loaf shape, place in tin, and leave to rise.
Ready when it’s golden brown and has a hollow sound when you tap the bottom.
- 2 teaspoons instant dried yeast
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
- 240 grams wholemeal plain flour
- 225 grams plain flour, plus 2 tablespoons for kneading
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
- 1 tablespoon linseeds
- olive oil spray
- In a small bowl, mixture together the yeast and brown sugar. Add 11/2 (375ml) of warm water, and stir until the yeast has dissolved. Set aside for 10 minutes or until frothy.
- Put the flours and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine. Combine the oats and seeds in another small bowl. Keep a ½ teaspoon of the oat/seed mix aside to sprinkle on the top, and add the remaining mixture to the flours and mix together.
- Make a well in the centre, then pour in the yeast mixture and stir until the dough comes together.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
- Lightly oil the bowl and place the dough in it. Cover with a clean tea towel, and rest in a warm place for 11/2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Lightly spray a loaf tin (around 9x19cm) and sprinkle very lightly with flour. Knock out any excess from the tin.
- Once the dough has risen, knock back the dough to its original size, with your hands. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes, then form into a loaf shape and place in the prepared tin. Cut three diagonal slashes into the top of the dough. Sprinkle with the reserved oat and seed mixture, then cover and set aside to rise for 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Bake the bread for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the base.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool before slicing.
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