Allinsons Granary Bread Recipes

BASIC GRANARY BREAD DOUGH (FOR ROLLS OR A LARGE LOAF)

Steps:

• Mix the flours and salt together in a large bowl, then stir in the sugar and yeast. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the warm milk, beaten egg, olive oil and enough of the water to form a soft, wet dough.
• On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for 10 mins until smooth. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film, then leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size. The dough is now ready to be shaped.
• To make 12 rolls, divide the dough into 12 pieces and shape into rolls. Lightly flour 3 baking sheets. Place the rolls onto the sheets and cover loosely with oiled cling film. Set aside in a warm place for 30 mins or until they have doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Brush the bread with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame and poppy seeds. Bake for 15-20 mins until deep golden brown and well risen.
• To make a flowerpot loaf, leave the dough to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Soak one large or eight small terracotta flowerpots in cold water for about 30 mins. Dry thoroughly, then brush the inside of the pots with oil and line with parchment paper. Shape dough into a smooth round with a roughly pointed shape at one end so it half-fills the pot. Leave until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Brush the top of the loaf with beaten egg, sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds and bake for 45-50 mins (15-20 mins for small loaves) until golden. Let it sit for 5-10 mins, then take out of the pot and leave to cool on a wire rack.

EASY SEED & GRAIN LOAF

Steps:

• Tip the flour, seeds, yeast and salt into a large bowl. Mix the water, oil and honey in a jug, then pour into the dry mix, stirring all the time to make a soft dough. If it feels sticky, sprinkle in a little more flour.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins, until the dough no longer feels sticky, sprinkling with a little more flour as you need it.
• Oil a 1.2-litre loaf tin and put the dough in the tin, pressing it in evenly. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 1 hr, until it springs back when you press it with your finger. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
• Make eight slashes across the top of the loaf, brush with water and sprinkle alternately with poppy and sesame seeds. Bake for 30-35 mins until the loaf is risen and brown. Tip it out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool.

EASY-BAKE BREAD

Steps:

• Tip the flour into a bowl and mix in the yeast with the salt. Stir in the water, oil and honey. Now bring together to make a soft dough - I use my hands, but a wooden spoon or knife from the cutlery drawer is fine. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 mins. It is worth putting in the time to do this as it will pay off later with lovely airy bread.
• Don't keep adding flour, a wet dough is better than a dry one, which will bake to a tough texture, so if you don't like the dough sticking to your hands, lightly oil them. If you are adding flavourings, knead them in gently now.
• Turn the dough into an oiled 1kg bread tin and cover with oiled cling film (or better still, a free unused shower cap from your last hotel stay!). Put in a warm place until the bread fills the tin, it should take between 1-2 hrs.
• Uncover and bake your bread at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 30-35 mins until golden. Tip out of the tin and tap the base of the loaf. It should sound hollow when fully cooked. If not cooked, put loaf back in the oven out of the tin and test again after 10 mins. Cool.

GRANARY BREAD FOR BREAD MACHINES

Steps:

• Place water in the baking tin; add all the flour, followed by milk powder, sugar, salt, butter and lastly the yeast.
• Load up the bread machine and bake on whatever setting you have that takes 3 hours.
• N.B if you leave the bread to stand in the tin for 15 minutes before you turn it out, it comes away a lot easier.