With a malted nutty flavour and a springy light texture this seeded granary bread recipe makes the easiest and tastiest loaf, all with natural ingredients and free of additives 🍞
When you make your own bread the first thing that hits you is just how simple it actually is.
Then you will wonder why you don't make it way more often!
It is literally a case of mixing the dry ingredients together then adding the mixed wet ingredients and kneading. Leave it to prove a couple of times and then bake.
What could be easier?! 🍞
I think there is a lot to be said for the peace of mind that baking your own bread brings too. You know exactly what has gone into it, you know it is not packed full of additives, the like of which you've never heard of let alone know what they are the there for.
I now make this loaf once a week along with homemade soup it is absolutely gorgeous.
Jump to:
Why make this Easy Seeded Granary Bread?
Malted nutty flavour 🍞
Dark treacle for depth of flavour 🍞
Soft springy interior 🍞
Delicious crunchy seeded crust 🍞
Egg wash crust for extra crunch and flavour 🍞
No additives 🍞
Made with oil which means it keeps longer 🍞
VERY easy! 🍞
Ingredients and Substitutions
See the Recipe card below for the exact quantities.
Dry ingredients
- Granary flour and strong white bread flour
You can replace the granary flour with seeded or wholemeal flour.
White granulated sugar - substitute with honey
Sugar helps to retain moisture in the dough as well as giving it a good crust. Sugar speeds up the fermentation of the dough as the yeast will feeds off it. - Fine salt
Salt is a vital ingredient in any bread dough because it controls the yeast and thus stabilises the the fermentation process. Think of it as the yeast police to stop the bread filling with too much gas and thus over proving. - Mixed seeds
I use supermarket mixed seeds, as they include pumpkin seeds, golden flax seeds, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds - Dried fast acting yeast
You can buy yeast in 7 gram packets or in a tin. Out of date yeast is often the culprit of a loaf that does not rise. You can substitute with 25 grams of fresh yeast.
- Diastatic malt powder
Now this is a bit of a secret ingredient.
One large bag will make about 100 loaves.
Diastatic malt powder.....
- is a natural ingredient
- contains enzymes and vitamins which increase the nutritional value of your seeded granary loaf
- improves the flavour of the bread
- gives the loaf a finer texture
- helps the yeast to work more effectively
- helps the dough to rise more quickly
- helps to keep the loaf fresher for longer
- gives the bread a deeper colour
- flavours the loaf with a malty flavour and slight sweetness
Wet ingredients
Black treacle substitute with honey and omit the sugar
Tip: Grease your measuring spoon first so that the treacle easily slides off.
- Vegetable oil - substitute with olive oil
Using oil in bread dough helps to keep it moist and keep for a little longer. It will ensure that your bread is soft with a tight crumb. - Warm water
At the point you add the water mixture to the flours it needs to be at about 43 degrees centigrade. If the water is too cold and it will not activate the yeast and therefore not prove, and if too warm and it will kill he yeast. - Egg yolk
Used as an egg wash.
Instructions
See Recipe card for exact instructions.
Mix together your flours and malt powder (if using). Make a well in the centre. Place your, salt, sugar and dried yeast on opposite sides to each other.
In a jug, mix together warm water, treacle and oil. The mixture should be tepid, around 42-43 degrees centigrade.
Pour your wet mixture into the well within the dry mixture and then, with your dough hook fitted and on a low setting on your KitchenAid, start kneading. Leave to knead for 5 minutes uninterrupted. Kneading by hand this will take 8-10 minutes.
Leave the dough to prove in the bowl covered with a damp clean tea towel and leave to prove for an hour or until doubled in size.
Grease your 2 pound loaf tin and then sprinkle it with flour, then place the dough into the tin.
Leave to rise for another 45 minutes to an hour, until the dough has risen above the edges of the tin.
Bake for 40 minutes until deep brown on top and the base sounds hollow when tapped. Your bread needs to be well baked to ensure it is not gummy inside.
Storage
Seeded Granary Bread will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight tin.
It is at its best on the same day as baked.
Try not to be tempted to cut the bread whilst it is still hot because the hot steam inside the bread will render it a little gummy. Ideally leave the bread to full cool for a few hours before cutting.
FAQ
Bread can be a little gummy due to several reasons such as the second prove being left for too long, the oven not circulating heat properly, the bread being baked at too high a temperature, or the bread being taken out off the oven too soon.
To prevent the dough from drying out whilst it proves cover it with a clean, damp tea towel.
When properly baked your bread should have a deep brown crust and also sound hollow when the base is tapped.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Seeded Granary Bread
Here's what you'll need...
- Stand mixer with bread hook attachment (or your can knead by hand)
- Clean tea towel
Ingredients you'll need...
- 300 g Granary flour (2 Cups)
- 200 g Strong white bread flour (1½ Cups)
- 7 g Diastatic malt powder optional - but does add a lovely flavour
- 7 g Fast action dried yeast
- 1¼ teaspoon Fine salt
- 1 teaspoon White granulated sugar
- 280 ml Warm water (1¼ Cups)
- 20 ml Vegetable oil or olive oil plus extra to grease the tin
- 2 teaspoon Black treacle level teaspoons
- 1 Egg yolk
- 2-3 tablespoon Mixed seeds
Here's what we do...
- Add your flours and malt to your mixing bowl and mix together.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour. Then place your salt, sugar and yeast at opposite sides to each other. It is important they don't touch at this point.
- In a microwavable bowl or jug, mix together your warm water, oil and treacle. Check the temperature is about 41-43°C and if not microwave until it is heated to this temperature. If you don't have a thermometer then think temperature of baby bathwater - If the water is too cold it will not activate the yeast, too warm and it will kill it off.
- If using a stand mixer - pour the wet mixture into the well within the flour and then fit the dough hook and begin kneading on a low setting (on my KitchenAid I use the lowest setting). Leave the mixer to knead uninterrupted for 5 minutes, by which time the dough should have wrapped itself around the hook and have come away entirely from the sides of the bowl.If making by hand - mix the water mixture into the dry using a fork. Once it has come together remove it to a lightly floured worksurface and commence kneading. It usually takes 8-10 minutes of kneading before ready.Either way, the dough is ready when it has an elastic quality, feels quite smooth and has lost most of its stickiness and your hands are no longer covered in dough.
- Remove your dough from your bowl and roll it into a ball. Lightly grease the bowl with some extra oil and then return the dough to the bowl. Cover with a clean damp tea towel and leave to prove for an hour, or until doubled in size.
- Once proved grease your loaf tin with some extra oil (tip - if you have sesame oil use this as it gives the crust a gorgeous flavour) and then take some extra flour and coat the inside of the tin.
- Roll the granary bread dough into a sausage shape the length of the tin.
- Place the dough in the loaf tin and then coat the top with egg yolk before sprinkling over your mixed seeds.
- Leave the dough to prove again for about 45 minutes or until it has risen above the edge of the tin.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C Fan/200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.
- When proven bake your granary loaf for 40-45 minutes until dark brown on top. The base should sound hollow when fully baked, if not then it is still too wet inside and needs further baking. If anything continue to bake if you are unsure, better than having gummy bread.
- Carefully remove from the tin and leave to fully cool. If cut when hot the loaf will still be full of steam and your bread will be gummy. Bread is best cut when absolutely cold.
- Enjoy! (Oh and this bread toasted, oh wow, amazing).
Comments
No Comments