My Favourite Bread

Taken from 'The Complete Dieter' (5 030 cals for 6 loaves, 838 per loaf) - Makes 6 small loaves or 4 small loaves and 24 rolls - fresh yeast can be substituted with 1 oz dried yeast - salt can be decreased if too much

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Yields: 6 loaves

Ingredients

• 2  lbs flour (granary or wholewheat)
• 8  ounces flour (rye or buckwheat)
• 8  ounces rolled oats
• 1  tablespoon molasses (blackstrap)
• 1 1⁄2 pints water (warm)
• 2  ounces  yeast (fresh)
• 5  teaspoons salt
• 1  ounce margarine (hard e.g. Tomor)

Directions

1. Whisk the water with the yeast, the molasses and approx 1/2 lb of the granary flour. Leave until very frothy in a warm place.
2. In the meantime, mix the rest of the flours with the salt and rub in the margarine. Fold in the frothing liquid and knead until the mixture leaves the sides of the bowl, is elastic but not sticky. Leave to rise in this bowl (saves washing up) covered with a clean tea towel in a warm place.
3. When mixture has doubled its bulk, punch it down, remove from bowl and form into loaf shapes.
4. Grease your loaf tins well and half fill with dough, or form into rolls. I always leave about 8 ozs of dough which I press into a greased quiche dish, cover with tinned tomatoes, grated cheese - any sort - little Italian herbs, and olives for decoration. Leave this to rise, with the rolls and bread (about half an hour, when the dough should be well risen) Cook the quiche dish and you will have an authentic pizza on baking day. You may glaze bread at this point if desired. Some prefer their breads with a matt finish. But at this stage - after they have risen a second time, even when glazing, be gentle and once glazed don't put the towel on again , it sticks. Put breads into the oven 400F for 45 - 60 minutes and test for doneness by knocking the loaf with your fingers - bread should sound hollow.