Homemade wholemeal bread
About this recipe: This is a variation of my mother's wholemeal bread recipe. She is 75, and still makes bread by hand. I cheat and use a mixer to save time, but either way this bread is easy to make and quite foolproof.
Ingredients
Serves: 72
- 100ml (4 fl oz) warm water
- 20g (3/4 oz) dried active baking yeast
- 4 tablespoons bread flour
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 175g (6 oz) porridge oats
- 225g (8 oz) wholemeal flour
- 1L (1 3/4 pints) warm water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 75g (3 oz) dark brown soft sugar
- 150ml (5 fl oz) vegetable oil
- 1.3kg (3 lb) bread flour
Method
Prep:3hr ›
Cook:35min ›
Ready in:3hr35min
- In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer, stir together 100ml warm water, yeast, 4 tablespoons flour and caster sugar. Let stand for about 5 minutes. It will bubble almost immediately.
- Measure oats, wholemeal flour, 1 litre warm water, salt, brown sugar and oil into the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed with a dough hook for 1 to 2 minutes. Increase speed slightly, and begin adding bread flour a little at a time until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Humidity determines how much flour you need before the bread pulls away from the edge of the bowl. It is normal for the dough to be sticky.
- Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Divide dough into 6 pieces. Shape loaves, and place in greased 20x10cm (8x4 in) tins. Let rise until dough is 2.5cm (1 in) above rim of tins, usually 1 hour.
- Bake at 180 C / Gas mark 4 for 35 minutes, or until tops are browned. Let cool in tins for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
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Reviews (16)
This recipe asks for 6 oz porridge oats, 8 oz wholemeal flour, and three POUNDS of "bread" flour. On what planet does this qualify as wholemeal? - 19 Aug 2011
Used different ingredients. I bake bread every week, sometimes twice a week, and this is the best recipe I've ever used. It makes great baps, too, and rolls and the recipe follows exactly like it is written. Also recently I omitted the oats and added wheatgerm and about 1/3 extra dark brown sugar and it's great, too. If you have trouble getting your loaves even, just roll the dough out in one long even roll and use a tape measure to measure it into equal pieces and cut it and then roll the pieces into loaves. - 14 Jul 2008
Made it healthier. as my husband has high cholesterol, i add 100gm walnuts as they are high in omega, i also add about 50gms of dried cranberries to give it a different flavour it tastes really nice. - 04 Oct 2010
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