WHOLEMEAL BREAD RECIPE with nuts and/or seeds

350g Farine Integrale (wholemeal) or Farine d’Epautre (spelt)

350g Farine 110 or 80 (semi-wholemeal or semi-refined)

2 x 5ml spoons sugar

1 x 5ml spoon salt

nuts and seeds as preferred

1 x 15ml spoon oil

425ml hand hot water

1 x 5ml spoon sugar

2 packs dried yeast

Mix yeast with water and 5ml sugar and leave for 15 mins until frothy.

Mix dry ingredients well, add yeast mix and oil gradually and mix well. Knead dough until soft and springy. Leave in a greased bag in a warm place to double in size. Knead again back to original size. Shape as desired and put into 1 large or 2 small greased loaf tins. Leave to rise again in the greased bag.

Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds and press into the dough.

Bake in hot oven for approx 25 minutes.

Leave to cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

EARL GREY TEA LOAF - YUMMY AND SO SIMPLE TO MAKE from Sue

The prep is done in a trice, then just let the oven do the rest.

INGREDIENTS

75g each of 3 dried fruits (eg raisins, sultanas, currants, chopped apricots, cranberries or chopped dates, you choose)
1/2 pint earl grey tea (using a bag)
250g/9oz refined flour (65)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
200g/7oz soft brown sugar
1 egg beaten

Soak the fruit overnight in the tea (leave the teabag in).
Pre-heat the oven 180˚C/Gas 4.
Drain fruit and add sifted flour, baking powder and spices. Mix in well.
Add sugar and egg and mix in.
Gradually add the juice from the soaked fruit (minus teabag!) until you get a nice gooey mix that will flop rather than pour into a 450g/1 lb loaf tin lined with greaseproof.
Bake for approx one hour. Check the cake is cooked by putting a skewer into the middle. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready. Leave to cool for ten minutes.
Place an oval plate over the loaf-tin and reverse. Peel greaseproof off the cake and reverse onto a wire rack. Leave to cool.

The cake is delish on its own, with butter or, if a bit gooey, with a glob of cream. Leaf likes it like that.
Enjoy!