Wholemeal Bread

It's really great for once to post a recipe that I make every single week come rain or shine.   I use a whole 3lb/ 1.5K bag of wholemeal flour to make 3 loaves that feed the 2 of us for the duration. I always put two in the freezer and leave one out for immediate use.
 I have to say that this is so easy,  I mix the dough in my Kenwood Chef mixer first thing in the morning and leave to prove for around 2 hours which time I've walked the dogs or vacuumed the house, or whatever nasty chore awaits me.  After it's doubled in size I take it out, bash the hell out of it, portion it into three 3 equal pieces and place into greased tins for around another hour or so... enough time to pop to the supermarket, have a friend round for coffee and a natter or have a potter in the garden.
Baked in a hot oven for exactly 30 minutes and the bread is ready. 

OK  the ingredients

3lb Wholemeal flour ( I like to use the one above or Waitrose Canadian) but this recipe works well with most bread flours including white

3 Teaspoons Salt
3 Tablespoons Rapeseed Oil ( vegetable oil will do)
2 Teaspoons Sugar (any)
5 Teaspoons  Dried Yeast... I use Allison's Easy Bake which can be mixed into the flour at the start but follow instructions for normal dried yeast... if you have fresh yeast or your own 'brew' then even better.
1 Litre/1¾ Pints water at body heat
A few Oats to top (optional)

I make my bread using a Kenwood Chef which is large mixer, you can alternatively make this by hand  
grease 3 2lb loaf tins or you can  hand form your own loaves on 3 baking trays

Instructions,

remove 2 or 3 tbsps of your flour and set aside for later

Place the oil into the bottom of your mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar. salt and yeast and mix together using your dough hook attachment.  ( if not using a mixer do this by hand). Add all the water.
Set the mixer to it's slowest setting and start to combine, stopping the machine and scraping the sides occasionally.  It will gradually form a solid but slightly sticky ball around the hook.  Make sure that all the flour has been taken up by the hook and just leave this mixing for around 7 minutes. The dough should now feel quite elastic and very pliable.

If making by hand then you will need to kneed the dough for at least 10 minutes ( a great way to work out any frustrations )  the dough should start to feel very pliable, it is then ready for the next stage. Put the dough back into the mixing bowl

Right, now it's time for the first prove.  I just cover the mixing bowl with a large plastic bag
(usually one of those large white pedal bin liners) .  Leave in a warm place, the airing cupboard is perfect, I leave mine on the side of my Rayburn stove...  if you want to bake within a few hours or leave somewhere cooler overnight ( my front porch is the perfect place to slow prove bread).  

When the dough has doubled in size it's time for the good bit.   Empty it out on a floured (using the reserved flour) work surface and bash the hell out of it ...I want to use a smiley emocion here LOL.
Cut into 3 equal sized pieces, shape and form it and place into your prepared tins.  Or shape as you will, cobs, rolls, etc etc and place on oiled trays.

I place my 3 tins of dough on my tea tray and cover again with the large plastic bag and leave in a warm place for an hour or so while I go off  to clean the damn bathroom or sort out the laundry.

As soon as the bread nears the top of the tins it's time to put your oven on. I set mine to exactly 200 c /400F.  I know lots of recipes suggest a higher temperature but this seems to be the very best heat for this particular bread.  You can add a sprinkle of oats at this stage if you want to.     I like to add a small tray of water to the very bottom of the oven at this stage.  The steam it creates makes all the difference to the crust of the loaf.

Place the bread in the centre of the oven and bake for exactly 30 minutes. The bread should be golden brown and nicely risen. Take out one loaf to test.  Slide it from it's tin and tap the base of it, it should sound hollow.  Just leave it for a couple more minutes if it isn't.

Remove from the tins immediately and leave to cool on a cooling tray.

When it's cold you can bag it up and place any spares in the freezer.  It will keep well in there for at least a month or so.

     
     

    Wholemeal Goji Berry Bread find the recipe here Wholemeal Goji Berry & Mixed Seed & Honey Bread

                                               White bread using the same method