SEEDED RYE AND WHEAT LOAF

SEEDED RYE AND WHEAT LOAF

Ingredients

100g each linseed, pumpkin and sunflower seeds
About 300ml warm water
50g soft dark brown sugar
2 tsp fast-action yeast
25ml pumpkin or sunflower oil
250g stoneground rye flour
75g wholemeal or spelt flour
75g strong white flour
1 tsp salt

Method

Toast the mixed seeds for 15 minutes at 180C (160C fan-assisted)/350F/gas mark 4, then leave them to cool.
 Set aside a handful, and put the rest of the seeds in a bowl along with the water, sugar and yeast.
 Leave for a few minutes, then add the oil, flours and salt, and mix it into a firm dough, adding a dash more water if needed.
Leave for 10 minutes, then lightly knead for 10 seconds.
Return the dough to the mixing bowl, cover with a clean cloth and leave for 45 minutes.

Line the base and sides of a large, oblong bread tin with nonstick paper.
Shape the dough into a fat sausage more or less the same length as the tin, then squash it firmly in.
 Brush the top with water, sprinkle on the reserved seeds, cover and leave until risen by just a quarter – you want only a slight rise; any more, and the bread will crumble when it's sliced.

Bake at 200C (180C fan-assisted)/390F/gas mark 6) for about 45 minutes, then remove from the tin, cover with a cloth and leave to cool.