Homebaked Wholemeal Bread

This has to be one of the best bread I’ve ever baked and eaten. It is even better than the Milk Loaf that I’ve baked before, and more nutritious too.

I did one last night and today, I need to bake another one cos the first one is almost finished. Hubby is not a fan of those store-bought sandwich slices kind of bread. But he likes gourmet bread and he considers this wholemeal bread to be in that category. From him, that’s a big compliment.

The recipe is simple and the kneading process simple and easy. The only thing I wished is that it’s a bigger loaf. The proofing went quite well but I don’t know why, after I cut the slits on the top of the bread, the bread seems to deflate a little, as if I’d puncture it. It also did not grow any bigger in the oven. So for the 2nd loaf, I tried to cut the slits before letting it proof for the 2nd time. It works! The dough was slightly taller when sent into the oven.

Regardless, I can ignore height for quality. The bread is quite dense, not like those airy pieces of store-bought bread. However the texture is soft and the taste is slightly sweet and buttery. It tastes good even eaten plain on its own. One thing to note though, because there is no added preservatives, this bread doesn't keep well. So bake it fresh and eat it within a day or two.

What are you waiting for? Go ahead and try it! You’ll never want to buy bread from outside again.

Here’s the recipe:
150g Bread Flour (I use Bread Mix)
150g Wholemeal Flour
1 tsp Instant Yeast
½ tsp Salt
2 tbsp Caster Sugar
10g Butter
170ml Water (lukewarm)

Method:
1. Combine all the dry ingredients and mix well. Try to make sure the butter is not too cold and hard so it’s more evenly combined.

2. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the water.

3. Mix into a dough. It’s not sticky so after most of the moisture is absorbed by the flour, you can turn it out and use your hands to continue kneading, until you get a smooth ball of dough.

4. Cover the dough in a bowl with a damp towel and let it proof. Depending on your climate, proof until it doubles in size.

5. Then turn it out and knead it lightly for a while before shaping it and putting it into your bread pan.

6. Cut some diagonal slits on the top of the dough to achieve a rustic looking effect. You can sprinkle some wholemeal flour over the top too.

7. Let it proof again under a damp towel till its size is doubled or you poke a finger into the dough and it leaves a dent.

8. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius and bake for around 30 mins. Take it out and let it cool completely.