The best granary loaf

Name: The best granary loaf
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 250 g Waitrose Duchy Organic Strong Malted Grain Bread Flour; 200 g Wildfarmed White Bread Flour, plus more to dust; 1½ tsp salt; 7 g fast- action dried yeast; 25 g butter; 1 tbsp black treacle; 1 tbsp clear honey; A little oil, for greasing

This loaf from Martha Collison is versatile, makes fantastic sandwiches on the day it’s baked, and even better toast the morning after.

5 out of 5 stars(2) Rate this recipe

Vegetarian

Makes1 x 900g loaf
CourseAccompaniment
Prepare20 mins
Cook30 mins
Total time50 mins
Plusrising and proving

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250g Waitrose Duchy Organic Strong Malted Grain Bread Flour
200g Wildfarmed White Bread Flour, plus more to dust
1½ tsp salt
7g fast- action dried yeast
25g butter
1 tbsp black treacle
1 tbsp clear honey
A little oil, for greasing

Place the flours into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the salt and yeast, then mix well to evenly distribute it through the flours.
Combine the butter, treacle and honey in a small saucepan over a low heat until melted. Stir well, then remove from the heat.
Have a jug ready with 300ml lukewarm water. Pour 200ml of this water into the dry ingredients, with the melted butter mixture. Using your hands, or the dough hook attachment on the mixer, bring it together into a shaggy dough. Add the remaining water a little at a time, until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough. You may not need it all.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes (or use the dough hook and mix for 5-6 minutes), until a smooth, elastic dough forms. Shape into a ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover (see tips) and leave to rise for 1 hour-1 hour 30 minutes (depending on the temperature of your kitchen), or until doubled in size.
Grease a 900g loaf tin with butter and set aside. Knock back the risen dough by kneading briefly in the bowl, then tip out onto a floured surface. Shape the dough into an oval the same length as the tin (I create a flat rectangle, then fold it into three as if folding a letter, then tuck the ends underneath to create a taut top). Place the dough into the tin, cover and leave to prove for 45 minutes-1 hour, or until doubled in size and domed above the tin.
While the dough proves, preheat the oven to 220ºC, gas mark 7. Place a small roasting tin in the bottom of the oven to heat up. When ready to bake, dust the top of the dough with flour and place in the centre of the oven. Add a mugful of water to the roasting tin, then close the door immediately, to offer a burst of steam to help create the best rise.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the loaf is risen and deep brown, with a strong crust. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Cook’s tip

Too wet v too dry
The most common mistake many people make with homemade bread is to be overcautious with added liquid! A dry dough without enough water will create a tight structure that inhibits air pockets from being able to form, which will make a dense bread. Wetter doughs are harder to work with but yield lighter loaves, and you can always add a little more flour if you take it too far.

To cover – shower cap
The best thing you can use to prove your bread is, believe it or not, a (clean) shower cap! I always use the ones you get in hotels for this purpose, as the elasticated edges are perfect for sealing around the top of a bowl of dough, or to grip the outside of a loaf tin. If not, placing the bowl into a large, clean plastic bag will work well, or a clean, damp tea towel will also suffice .

Loaf tin
If possible, I like to use a high-sided and deep (as opposed to wide or very long) 900g loaf tin for this loaf, as you’ll get crisp, straight edges and a beautiful domed top. To measure if a loaf tin is big enough, the easiest thing to do is weigh the amount of water it holds. 900g water (or 900ml) should fill the loaf tin to about two-thirds to three-quarters full.

Typical values per per 50g slice when made using specific products in recipe