Wholemeal Honey Loaf

This is a great recipe to make with your children, who will enjoy kneading the bread, watching it rise, and the magic of taking the cooked loaf out of the oven. You will need to have a whole morning or afternoon at home, so it is a great activity for a rainy day. The recipe makes two loaves - one to eat and one to freeze.

Ingredients:

1 lb 7 oz (600g) strong white flour
11 oz (300g) wholemeal flour
16 fl oz (450ml) warm water
3 tablespoons honey
3 teaspoons dried or fast-acting yeast, or 1 3/4 oz (40g) fresh yeast
2 teaspoons salt
4 oz (100g) butter, cubed

Instructions:

Mix the honey with the warm water in a small bowl or jug. Add the yeast and leave to stand for about 5 minutes, until slightly frothy.

Put the two flours and the salt into a large bowl or into a food mixer, and add the butter, rubbing it in with the tips of your fingers to form a "breadcrumby" mixture. Add most of the water (keep a little back to begin with) and mix to form a dough. If it is too dry, add a little more warm water; if it is too wet and sticky, sprinkle in a little more flour.

Knead by hand on a floured surface for about 10 minutes, or in the food mixer for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and springy. Place in a large oiled boil, cover with cling film and leave somewhere warm for 2-3 hours, during which time it should have doubled in size.

Knock it back by punching it down in the bowl, then knead again for a minute or so. Cover it with a tea towel and allow it to rest where it is for 5 minutes before dividing into two and shaping into round or oval loaves. You could also form 18-20 rolls if you preferred. Slash the loaves across the top (see photo above).

Now preheat the oven to 400F, 200C or Gas Mark 6.

Place your loaves or rolls onto a floured baking tray, sprinkle with a little more flour, and cover with a tea towel. Leave to rise for another 45 minutes or so: the dough has risen enough when it doesn't spring back when you push your finger into it.

Remove the tea towel and bake the bread for 30-40 minutes. To check whether the loaves are done, tap them on their base: they should sound hollow. Rolls will take 10-15 minutes to cook, depending on size. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

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