MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06 Title: Simple Loaf Categories: Breads Yield: 1 Loaf MMMMM---------------------------SPONGE-------------------------------- 225 ml Water; warm, (about -30-35°C) 1 ts Easy-blend yeast; level 175 g Strong white bread flour MMMMM---------------------------DOUGH-------------------------------- 175 g Strong white bread flour 1 ts Fine salt; level 25 g Unsalted butter or lard MMMMM--------------------MULTIGRAIN AND HONEY------------------------- 50 g Rolled oats 3 tb Honey 50 g Linseed (flax) 50 g Sunflower seeds 100 ml Water; boiling 75 g Wholemeal flour; plus 100 g Strong white flour; -substitute for 175 g flour -in dough MMMMM----------------CARROT, PARSNIP AND ROSEMARY--------------------- 100 g Carrot; grated 100 g Parsnip; grated 2 tb Fresh or dried rosemary; -chopped; heaping Scald a big mixing bowl with boiling water, then add the warm water and stir in the yeast. Add the flour, stir it up well with a wooden spoon, cover the bowl and leave for 2-4 hours, or even overnight. So, you can mix it in the morning before work, or late on a Friday night when the house is quiet. When you're ready to make your dough, put the second batch of flour (175 g) into a bowl, add the salt and rub the butter through until it vanishes, so there are no little lumps floating around. Add the flour to the yeast batter, mix the whole lot into a big sticky clump of dough, then scrape the bits off your fingers, cover the bowl with a tea towel, and leave for 10 minutes. Give the dough three light kneads over 30 minutes (see Basic techniques), then cover and leave for a further 30 minutes. Lightly flour the work surface, roll the dough into a rectangle 2 cm thick that measures (from left to right) slightly less than the length of a 2 lb loaf tin. Roll it up tightly and place seam-side down in the buttered and floured tin. Cover the tin with a tea towel and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in height (about 1 hours). Heat the oven to at least 220°C (200°C fan-assisted), though better if you can get it to 240°C (220°C fanassisted). Steam the oven if you like (see Basic techniques). Dust flour over the dough with a tea strainer, slash the loaf diagonally a few times about 1 cm deep with a razor blade or sharp serrated knife and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 200°C (180°C fan-assisted) and bake for a further 20 to 25 minutes until dark golden brown, remove from the oven and tin, and cool on a wire rack. Multigrain And Honey: Add oats, honey, linseed, and sunflower seeds in a bowl. Pour in boiling water, stir well and leave to get cold. When you come to make the dough, beat the oat mixture into the yeast sponge very well, then use 75 g wholemeal flour and 100 g strong white flour instead of the 175 g all-white flour, and continue with the recipe as above. Carrot, Parsnip And Rosemary: Beat grated carrot and parsnip through the yeast sponge very well with chopped rosemary, then continue with the recipe as above. This dough rises quickly, so bake as soon as it's doubled in height. Recipe by Dan Lepard Recipe FROM: MMMMM