Baking Recipes - Quick Brown Bread Recipe

  
 

Baking Recipes - Quick Brown Bread Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 1 large or 2 small loaves

  • 500 g/1 lb whole meal flour or 250 g/8 oz whole meal and   250 g/8 oz strong white flour

  • 2 teaspoons salt

  • 1 teaspoon caster sugar (optional)

  • 25 g/1 oz butter or lard, plus extra for greasing

  • 15 g/1/2 oz fresh yeast or 1 1/2 teaspoons fast-action dried  yeast with 1 teaspoon caster sugar

  • about 350 ml/12 fl oz warm water

Method:

  1. Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl with the sugar, if using, and rub in the fat. Prepare the yeast liquid. If using fresh yeast, blend it with a cupful of the warm water, then add it to the flour, salt and fat all at once with the remaining warm water.

  2. If using dried yeast, dissolve it in a cup of hand-hot water and add the sugar. Leave in a warm place for 15 minutes until frothy, then add to the dry ingredients with the remaining warm water. Beat with a wooden spoon into a fairly soft dough, adding more water if necessary.

  3. Turn on to a floured board and knead well for 10 minutes. Stretch the dough to fit 1 large loaf tin or divide in half to fit 2 small tins.

  4. Fold or roll up and put into the warmed and greased tins. Put into an oiled polythene bag and leave to rise in a warm place until the dough reaches the top edge of the tin.

  5. Brush with lightly salted water and bake in the centre of a preheated oven, 230°C (450°F), Gas Mark 8, for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6, and cook for a further 30-40 minutes, according to size.

  6. When cooked, the loaves will shrink slightly from the tin. Turn out and tap the base to see if it sounds hollow. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.