Instead of a giveaway, which I really don't have time for, I thought I'd give you a recipe instead. I've been making bread for years but have never had a great deal of success. I knew it was in the second rising and despite trying different techniques of kneading, rising, baking times and temperatures it just wouldn't work.
And then Margaret Fulton came to my rescue.
I guess
Margaret Fulton is the original celebrity Australian chef, and her cookbooks are much coveted. So when I found a small volume in amongst Ant's recipe books I was pleasantly surprised, especially when I came across her recipe for a single rise brown bread. And it works. Beautifully. Every time.
I've adjusted ingredients, measurements and method enough to feel that I can safely publish it here. The original recipe was also for two loaves and I've changed it to one.
One-Rise
Brown Bread
2 tbs fresh
yeast
1 tbs castor
sugar
2 ¼ cups
warm water
375g wholewheat
flour
375g white
bread flour
2 tsp salt
2 tbs vegetable
oil
1 tbs honey
Place yeast, sugar and warm water in a small bowl, and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and make a
well in the centre. Add the yeast
mixture once it has activated and gently stir to combine.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and need for 10
minutes, until it is smooth and springy.
Place inside your greased loaf tin. Cover with a piece of oiled plastic wrap and leave to rise
in a warm place for about an hour until it’s doubled in size. Brush the top with a little water and
sprinkle on poppy seeds (or sesame seeds, or whatever takes your fancy).
Bake in a preheated hot oven, 230˚c (450˚F) for 10 minutes, then lower
the heat to 200˚c (400˚F), and bake for a further 30 minutes or until the loaf
sounds hollow when tapped. Turn
onto a wire rack to cool.
