Wheatmeal Loaf

Category: Cakes and Bakes

Bread and flour are a valuable part of our everyday diet. They supply us with carbohydrates for energy, B vitamins to make use of this carbohydrate, iron and calcium. Bread is also a valuable source of protein, especially if eaten with eggs, cheese or meat. This is a great quick recipe and can be used for rolls, to make apricot and walnut loaf or even to make a pizza base.

Servings

1 loaf

Ingredients

100g each brown and white strong plain flours (or in any proportion you like) 5g white cooking fat 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp dried yeast 150ml water

Method

Dissolve sugar in a cupful of hand hot water (from the amount above) then sprinkle dried yeast on top. Leave until frothy, about 10 minutes. Add, with rest of liquid, to flours and salt. Mix to a soft scone-like dough. Knead the dough thoroughly on a lightly floured surface. Shape loaf to half fill a well greased loaf tin or flower pot. Brush the tops with salt and water and sprinkle with cornflakes or cracked wheat. Put to rise, inside a large greased polythene bag, loosely tied, until the dough has doubled in size and springs back when lightly pressed with a floured finger. Remove bag. Bake on middle shelf of hot oven, 230C/gas 8 for 30 to 40 minutes. Cook's Note Grease the flower pot well before using and bake it empty in a hot oven if it has not been used for bread. This prevents the loaf sticking. Rolls: This quantity makes 12 rolls. Flatten the dough to 1cm thickness on a floured board. Cut into rounds with 6.5cm " cutter or divide dough into 12 pieces and roll into rounds using palm of one hand. Press down hard at first and then ease up.This is best done on an unfloured board with a little flour on palm of hand only. Place on a floured baking sheet. Cover rolls with greased polythene. Rise to double size and bake at top of hot oven, 450 degrees F./Gas Mark 8, for 20 to 25 minutes. Apricot & Walnut Loaf Following the basic wheatmeal recipe make up the dough. Put the dough into a lightly greased, lightly tied polythene bag or container with lid and allow to rise to double size before using. This unusual fruit loaf is delicious with butter at tea time, or with cheese for supper. 115g dried apricots, chopped 50g broken walnuts 25g caster sugar Work all the ingredients together in a basin, with one hand, until the mixture is no longer streaky. Two-thirds fill the prepared tin (bottom-lined and greased) and cover with cling film until dough rises to within 1cm of the top of the tins. One hour in a warm place, longer in a cool one. Bake at 200C/gas6 for 40-45 minutes Cool in tin 10 minutes and then on a wire tray. PER 100g 335Kcal, fat 3.9g, saturated fat 1.4g, salt 2.5g, carbohydrate 67.7g, sugar 3.3g, fibre 4.3g