Good Morning and happy Monday to you all. I had a great weekend. The weather was lovely most of the weekend here in Yorkshire and we certainly made the most of it. On Saturday we took Fearne to the park to ride her bike. It was lovely to get out in the fresh air and see the lovely spring flowers bursting through the soil. Spring is by far my favourite season and I am so glad it’s now just around the corner. What adventures did you all experience this weekend?

Today we have the lovely Myriam from Bizcocho Pastries back on the blog. Last time she shared with us the Energy bars recipe which looked amazing. Today she is sharing with us this Wholemeal Bread Recipe which looks super easy to make.

Wholemeal Bread

Ingredients:

150 g Wholemeal flour
200g Plain flour (plus 2-3 tbspn for dusting)
15g Sesame seeds
9g Salt
35g Sliced almonds
25g Flaxseeds
1 tbsp cracked oats
50g Dried cranberries
2 tbsp Rapeseed oil
240 ml Tepid water
1 ½ tbsp Agave syrup
12g Dried instant yeast

STEP 1) Add the agave syrup and yeast to the water and mix lightly. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

STEP 2) Add the wholemeal flour, plain flour and salt into a bowl.

STEP 3) Once the yeast mixture has started to bubble, add to the bowl and mix with the flour and salt.

STEP 4) Beat the mixture, at low speed for a few seconds using the hook attachment of a mixer until the dough resembles large crumbs. Add the oil and continue to beat for another 3-4 minutes until the dough starts coming together.

STEP 5) Once the dough starts to become softer, add all the remaining ingredients slowly (with the exception of the oats) and beat for another 2-3 minutes, at medium speed until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the dough becomes soft.

STEP 6) Lightly dust the table with plain four and begin to knead the dough for 5 minutes.

STEP 7) The dough will be considered ready once it becomes stretchy (like elastic) and smooth.

STEP 8) Oil a bowl, place the dough in and cover with cling film. Set the bowl aside in a draft-free place for 1 ½ hours to prove.

STEP 9) Once the dough has doubled in size, punch and knead for 1 minute.

STEP 10) After kneading for 1 minute, form a log roughly the size of the tin (if one is being used), brush the tin with oil and the dough with a bit of oil and roll it onto the cracked oats.

STEP 11) Place the dough in the tin (or place on an oiled baking sheet if a tin is not being used) and let it prove for further 30 minutes. Turn the oven on to 220 C (electric) 200 C (fan).

STEP 12) Bake the bread for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 200 C (electric) 180 C (fan) and bake for a further 10-15 minutes. To verify that it’s ready, ensure that there is a nice golden crust on top and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Let it cool down completely on a wire rack.

STEP 13) Slice the loaf with a serrated knife and enjoy!

This bread can be stored at room temperature for 3 days in an airtight container, in the fridge for 7 days or frozen for up to 3 months. It is a great idea to freeze it sliced, it can be used straighT from the freezer just toast it for 2-3 minutes and it will still taste delicious and fresh. Feel free to experiment adding your favourite nuts, seeds or dried fruits
instead of the ones above.