Brown loaf

Brown loaf

Try this simple step-by-step brown bread recipe to make a seeded loaf or try one of three gorgeous variations

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 1

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

You'll have a baked loaf in 2 ½ - 3 hrs
Freezable

Method

  1. Mix your choice of brown flour with the white, the yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl. Put in the butter and rub it into the flour. Stir in the seeds if using. Make a dip in the centre of the flour and pour in almost 300ml hand warm (cool rather than hot) water, with a round-bladed knife. Then mix in enough of the remaining water and a bit more if needed, to gather up any dry bits in the bottom of the bowl and until the mixture comes together as a soft, not too sticky, dough. Gather it into a ball with your hands.
  2. Put the dough on to a very lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 mins until it feels smooth and elastic, only adding the minimum of extra flour if necessary to prevent the dough sticking. Place the ball of dough on a lightly floured work surface. Cover with an upturned, clean, large glass bowl and leave for 45 mins-1 hr or until doubled in size and feels light and springy. Timing will depend on the warmth of the room.
  3. Knock back the dough by lightly kneading just 3-4 times. You only want to knock out any large air bubbles, so too much handling now will lose the dough's lightness. Shape into a ball. Cover with the glass bowl and leave for 15 mins.
  4. Now shape to make a tin loaf Grease a 1.2-litre capacity loaf tin (about 23 x 13 x 5.5cm) and line the base with baking parchment. Using your knuckles, flatten the dough into a rectangle about 25 x 19cm. Fold both shorter ends into the centre like an envelope, make a ¼ turn, then flatten again into the same size and roll up very tightly, starting from one of the short ends. Roll the top of the dough in extra seeds and place in the tin with the join underneath, pressing the seeds gently into the dough. Cover with a clean tea towel. Leave for 40-45 mins, or until risen about 5cm above the top of the tin.
  5. Put a roasting tin in the bottom of the oven 20 mins before ready to bake and heat oven to 230C/210C fan/gas 8. Put the risen bread in the oven, carefully pour about 250ml cold water into the roasting tin (this will hiss and create a burst of steam to give you a crisp crust), then lower the heat to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Bake for about 30 mins or until golden, covering with foil for the last 5 mins if starting to brown too quickly. Leave in the tin for 2-3 mins, then remove and cool on a wire rack. If you tap the underneath of the baked loaf if should be firm and sound hollow.
Try

Try 3 variations

Have a look at the 'Goes well with' section to the right of this page for three variations that use this basic recipe.

Per slice (20 slices)

91 kcalories, protein 3g, carbohydrate 18g, fat 1 g, saturated fat 0g, fibre 1g, sugar 1g, salt 0.38 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2011.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo noggin21

    27 August 2011

    noggin21 rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    First time I have made a wholemeal loaf turned out better than expected

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  • Binder photo lib502

    27 August 2011

    lib502 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made this with Dove quick yeast so only used a teaspoon of it - came out a treat but wish I have covered mine earlier, caught before the top had burnt though. It was really tasty and will definitely make it again but without lining the tin as I prefer a more crispy base to my bread.

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  • Binder photo ella-maria

    18 January 2012

    ella-maria commented on this recipe

    doesn't say how many servings so therefore even though says 91 cal per serving it all depends how thick you cut each slice, so recipe non starter

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  • Binder photo mike125

    18 July 2012

    mike125 commented on this recipe

    how much water do you use it does not say

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  • Binder photo VeggieSara

    25 July 2012

    VeggieSara rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Really happy with how this bread turned out. I didn't line the base either but just generously buttered the tin and then gave the loaf 5 extra minutes in the oven without the tin to get a really good crust. I worked out it is 1560 calories for the entire loaf so to get slices worth 90 odd calories each I cut the loaf into roughly 16 slices. The slices came out as what I would describe as your average 'medium' sliced supermarket loaf.

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  • Binder photo VeggieSara

    25 July 2012

    VeggieSara commented on this recipe

    I should have mentioned- my calculations were based on baking the bread without seeds- if you add the seeds it's more like 18-19 slices per loaf

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  • Binder photo mwebber

    03 February 2013

    mwebber rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Easier loaf ever to make! I use 400g of granary flour & 100g strong plain flour. I make it twice a week. Don't have shop bought bread anymore.

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  • Binder photo spud

    25 March 2013

    spud commented on this recipe

    Made this using wholemeal flour and white flour it turned out great best loasf yet. I have a bread machine but made this by hand and it was much better.

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  • Binder photo spud

    25 March 2013

    spud rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    opps forgot to rate

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  • Binder photo Jonnyl

    27 April 2013

    Jonnyl rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Jonnyl

    27 April 2013

    Jonnyl rated this recipe

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  • Binder photo Lisa Gal

    11 May 2013

    Lisa Gal commented on this recipe

    Mine is in the oven now but I haven't put it in a tin....just on a tray so here's hoping that it turns ok just as well. Has anyone else tried it without a loaf tin?

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 1

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

You'll have a baked loaf in 2 ½ - 3 hrs
Freezable

Ingredients

  • 400g malted grain brown bread flour , or wholemeal or granary bread flour
  • 100g strong white bread flour
  • 7g sachet easy-bake dried yeast (or 2 tsp Quick dried yeast)
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp soft butter
  • 4 tbsp mixed seeds (optional), such as linseed, pumpkin, sesame and sunflower, plus extra for sprinkling
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Per slice (20 slices)

91 kcalories, protein 3g, carbohydrate 18g, fat 1 g, saturated fat 0g, fibre 1g, sugar 1g, salt 0.38 g

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