This easy recipe for a basic malted brown loaf will become your to go recipe whenever you make bread.
Good bread is one of life’s greatest pleasures, I think that the Pythons got in wrong in the Life of Brian, and really it should be the bakers who are blessed. With just a little skill, and practise, it really is very easy to make good bread at home, the trick is to use all your senses to assess the dough – sight, smell, touch, taste and the sound it makes when you knead it. Bread is visceral, you need experience to know when it is ready for the next stage of the baking process. Recipes are very useful but flour, yeast, proving temperature, water, style of kneading all make a huge difference to the proving and the finished loaf. But please do not be scared of making bread – it is both satisfying and rewarding and is a skill that will stand you well for the rest of your life – the only downside being that you will start to look down at commercial bread and wonder why you ever bought or ate it.
Basic Malted Loaf
Ingredients
- 300 g whole meal flour
- 300 g malted white bread flour
- 400 g lukewarm water
- 1 tsp dried instant yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a mixing machine. Using the dough hook, knead at a low to medium speed for eight minutes. Or, if not using a mixing machine, mix the ingredients and then knead on the countertop for 10 minutes, until smooth and pliable.
- Remove the mixing bowl from the machine, or place the dough in a large bowl, cover (a disposable shower cap is perfect), and place in a warm location (near a radiator) for about an hour, until the dough has doubled in size.
- Using a spatula or scraper, get the dough out of the bowl and roll into a cylinder shape the size of your loaf tin. Butter the loaf tin, and place the dough in it.
- Cover the tin with a plastic bag or shower cap and put it somewhere warm, but not hot, for a second raise for about 45 minutes.
- Place in a pre-heated oven at 220°C for 40 minutes. The loaf is cooked when it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
More bread recipes you might like
https://fussfreeflavours.com/a-loaf-to-use-up-leftover-sourdough-leaven/
https://fussfreeflavours.com/recipe-whisky-wort-barley-sourdough/
https://fussfreeflavours.com/recipe-white-loaf-made-yogurt/
Sarah | Boo Roo and Tigger Too
Thank you for the recipe, I’m hoping to try to make new breads this year
Helen
I love home-made bread, and am fortunate to have some to make it for me.
Priya
Such a gorgeous looking bread. I love baking and would love to try this one out. Bookmarking!
Helen
I love a good loaf!
Sarah
I love how simple this is! Makes me think I should start making my own bread :0
Helen
Go for it. It is such a good skill to have.
shelby
I was just thinking about making homemade bread this morning! Brings back good memories when I smell a loaf baking in the oven! I have not tried a malted loaf before, very interesting!
Helen
SO often Ed gets a loaf in before I get up – lovely to wake up to freshly baked bread
Annie @ Annie's Noms
I completely agree that good bread is one of life’s pleasures; I’m addicted to bread, especially fresh out of the bread machine. There’s nothing like that smell of homemade bread! This malted loaf looks fabulous!
Helen
We’ve never had a bread machine, but do like having something to knead it.
April @ Girl Gone Gourmet
This looks like a good all-purpose bread – perfect for sandwiches, I bet. Although, I’d like to toast a piece and top it with some tomato and avocado :)
Helen
Of that sounds good. I love avo on toast.
Cathy @ Planet Veggie
I knew I shouldn’t have looked at this post – now I want one of those machines, fab!
Helen
It is a really good machine. Perfect for a busy family.
laura dove
I am gluten free and salivate over the thought of real bread! This looks so good, I’m sure my family would love it but I would be far too jealous to watch them sit and eat it!!
Mary Burris
My mother used to make bread every Monday. It was the best tasting bread ever.
MAry
Helen
Home made bread always is the best.
Kara
I love baking bread and there is nothing better than that warm bread smell. Sadly my bread maker died last year and I’ve fallen out of the habit of making my own. I think I need to invest in this
Helen
Kara, with your large family you would love a Cuisine Companion.
Dean of Little Steps
I can almost smell the fresh bread! Do the love the smell :) We love a fresh loaf and use our breadmaker to make them :) I must say that Tefal cuisine companion looks like a fab product!
Helen
Love fresh bread. The Cuisine Companion is a good machine.
Grant R
This looks so much better than our old bread maker, which leaves big holes in the bottom of the loaf. I can almost smell the fresh bread…..
Helen
the secret is in the hand finishing of the loaf. Knead by machine, shape by hand.
Emily
That looks delicious Helen! Definitely need to make my own bread more x
Helen
It was amazingly good!
Janie
Looks like a pretty cool toy! I’m new to the world of multi functional kitchen gadgets so already have a kitchen full of gizmos.
But for those just setting up home, or with a small amount of kitchen storage space this sounds perfect to buy instead of having a cupboard full of different single use items.
Janie x
Helen
It is a good solid machine, needs a few tweaks, but it has real potential.
Fi Ni Neachtain
I’ve never made my own bread before but you’ve really made me want to now, there’s something so wholesome about it isn’t there? Your food photography is fantastic by the way.
Helen
I love homemade bread – once you start to make it you will never buy any again.