Quick & Easy Brown Bread

Made with rapid rise dried yeast, this simple one-rise whole wheat bread is much easier to make than a conventional wholemeal loaf. Recipe makes 1 loaf.

Ingredients:

2 sachets rapid rise dried yeast
2 cups strong wholemeal flour
2 cups strong all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon salt
5 fl oz (150 ml) lukewarm milk
Extra milk, to glaze

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease a 2 pound (1 kg) loaf tin.
2. Sift together the yeast, flours and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the wholemeal husks in the sieve to the bowl. Add the milk and sufficient lukewarm water to mix to a soft dough.
3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Roll and shape the dough and put into the tin.
4. Cover with oiled clear plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes, or until doubled in size.
5. Uncover and brush the top of the loaf with milk. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake for a further 20-25 minutes, or until well risen and brown. The loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the base. Turn the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool.

Tip: Look for rapid rise dried yeast, sold in sachets, in most supermarkets. It cuts down on the rising time needed for yeast mixtures by about 50 per cent. It also makes proving (a second rising) unnecessary.