Whenever I buy bread, I usually get “granary bread”. I had no idea where the name comes from until last week. Hovis is a company that makes bread in the UK and granary bread is their creation. They make a flour blend that has malted wheat in it and gives the bread a good bite to it.
In the UK, Hovis sells granary flour which we do not have here. So I made my own mix with bread flour, whole wheat flour and malted wheat. The result is a sturdy loaf. Oh and I used honey as a sweetener, because I now prefer the taste of honey in bread over sugar.
Here is how I made the bread:
Granary Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cup bread flour
- 1 1/2 cup warm water
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup malted wheat
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon oats
Instructions
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Mix bread flour, water, honey and yeast in a bowl. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes until a smooth batter and you can feel the gluten forming.
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Let the bowl sit for 1 hour in a warm place.
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To the sponge, add salt, malted wheat and whole wheat flour and start kneading. Add in the oil, and water and continue to knead for 10 minutes. Check the dough to see if it needs more flour or water. Add more water if needed.
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Knead for another 5 to 8 minutes. The dough should not break immediately when a small portion is pulled out.
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Shape the dough into a fat 9 by 5 rectangle. Fold on the longer side like a jelly roll. Seal by pinching. Place in the parchment lined or well greased bread pan (9 by 5 inch). Spray water on top. Sprinkle oats. Spray water again. Cover with a towel and let rise for 50 minutes to an hour or until it doubles. Spray water, then spray oil on the top.
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Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the bread for 30-40 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.
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Remove the bread pan from the oven and brush with butter. Remove the bread from the pan after 5 - 10 minutes. Let it cool completely before slicing with a serrated knife.
