No Knead Brown Bread

This time last year, I was on a roll, baking bread by hand for weeks and weeks.....it felt great not to rush out the door late afternoon to buy bread before the store closed.....and usually reluctantly when I realise there's nothing for school lunches the next day!

Well lately I haven't been so diligent and the store bought bread is more common place than I'd like it to be....that and the occasional biscuit packet which is a constant reminder that I have had to let things drop for my own sanity.

But with Mike soon to be here living with us all under the same roof PERMANENTLY!  yip thats right! Factory and Business sold!
 WOO HOO!!! its been 18months!
It will be time to sort out my routines that have slipped, and time to stamp out all the bad habits that inevitably creeped in.

So even though I love kneading dough by hand and shaping it into whatever I require, it does take time and bit of forethought.

And thats where the No Knead Brown Bread often came to my rescue last year, and in the next couple of weeks should help me get back into  a better routine gently

So thinking many of you could do with a good quick and easy bread recipe up your sleeve, I'm sharing it here today......

No Knead Brown Bread by Alison Holst

1-1.5 tsp of active dry yeast
( use the larger quantity stated if you want the dough to rise faster ) 
2 Cups of lukewarm water

(no hotter than a baby's bath water or you will kill the yeast )

1 Tbsp of Golden Syrup ( or maple, honey, sugar )

2 Tbsp of Oil or Melted Butter
4 cups of Wholemeal flour
 (or alternately half white high grade, half Wholemeal )

1.5 tsp of salt.

Method: Put the yeast, lukewarm water and golden syrup in a bowl big enough to add the flour later. Stir to mix in the syrup, then cover the bowl and leave it to stand in a sink of warm water or in the sun  for 20 minutes, ( I use my hotwater cupboard ) or until you can see little bubbles bursting on top.

Add the oil or butter, the flour and salt. ( and 1/2 cup of seeds if you like )
Stir everything together thoroughly... then beat the mixture with a wooden spoon a few times, this activates the gluten and helps the bread to rise.

Butter or oil the tin you are using ( a large deep loaf tin that will hold 8 cups ).  Put a piece of greaseproof paper on the bottom and long enough to go up and over the sides to stop the loaf from sticking to the bottom - this is important! and helps to get it out once cooked
Then drop the mixture in and level the top of the loaf with the back of a wet spoon.... I then use a pair of kitchen scissors and snip four cuts along the top and then sprinkle with seeds *seeds are optional, eg: pumpkin, sesame or poppy

Cover with cling film or a tea towel and leave in a warm place till it's risen twice its size.

Once risen, place carefully ( so you don't knock the air out of it ) in a preheated oven of 200 degrees celcius, and bake for 45 mins.... turn the oven temp down if the top of the loaf gets too brown.

The top of the loaf stays fairly flat, so don't let it worry you.
You will know when its cooked, when you tap the bread and it sounds hollow.  Cool on a wire rack completely before cutting.

I now make this with half white high grade flour and half wholemeal flour, and its my favoutite... It's taste alot like Vogels or Burgen and it's extra tasty when you mix in 1/2 cups of seeds or grains such as linseed, sunflower or kibble for a change.

I thinking of baking a couple of multigrain versions just for me and slicing them to pop in the freezer....
it will be my very own vogels copycat stash

And believe me its popular!  My mum now cooks this religiously and many of her friends are now hooked on it too!......I gave one to my neighbour as part of a house warming gift and the other day she was asking for the recipe, so give it a try, you wont regret it!

Linking in with Ange for the first time at 
Tuesdays Fun with Food Linky