I'm a baker — my 6-ingredient bread turns out perfect every time with minimal kneading
In a world brimming with intricate sourdoughs, bagels and focaccia, sometimes it's best to return to the basics: a scrumptious granary loaf. Granary bread is Senior Audience Writer Sophie Harris's go-to, crafted from a blend of white and whole wheat flour, with cracked grains of malted barley and occasionally oats. Sophie's recipe is incredibly straightforward, demanding minimal kneading, no stretch and folds and just one resting period. "It's completely foolproof, and over the years I've been making it, it's never gone wrong. It's got minimal ingredients too, a perfect healthier bread option. For this recipe, you'll need to make sure you have a 2lb loaf tin to hand."
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Six-ingredient granary loaf: ingredients and simple steps
Pour both bread flours into a bowl, positioning the yeast on one side and the salt on the other. This is crucial as salt can kill yeast, which means your bread may not rise if they come into contact, reports the Express. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Next, pour 300 ml of warm water into a jug, then stir in the oil and honey. It won't completely dissolve, but as long as it's lightly mixed, that's fine. Simply pour this mixture into the bread flour and gently stir until well combined. Once combined, knead by hand for at least 12 minutes. Sophie uses a stand mixer with a dough hook attached and lets it knead for around 10 minutes. If it's too dry, add a bit more flour. Once smooth, she then transfers the dough into a 900 g oiled loaf tin, lightly dusts the top with flour and loosely covers it with clingfilm.
From dough to oven: shaping and baking a perfect loaf
After an hour, the dough will have puffed up to twice its original size, and it's ready for the oven. Crank up the heat to 200°C/180°C Fan and let it bake for about 32-35 minutes until it turns a lovely golden brown. Give the tin a few minutes to cool down before you tip the loaf out onto a cooling rack and let it cool off completely.
Storage and final notes
Sophie concluded: "I find that this bread lasts for around three to four days when stored in a bread bag, which is much longer than a white loaf of bread."
