Seedy Brown Bread

I have always been a fan of browner than brown homemade bread. Or, as I recently discovered, "wheaten bread", as it is referred to in some parts of our lovely, green island. This is honest to goodness wholemeal through and through. Another element I love in brown bread is a good hint of sweetness, which this provides. This recipe has been honed (well messed around with really…!) and I have arrived at something that I find tasty, satisfying and most importantly, filling! Although I call it seedy, I don’t mean that this bread is in anyway beat up or tacky, it simply contains plenty of seeds glorious seeds!

Ingredients:

Dry -

• 700g coarse wholemeal flour
• 3 tbsp. porridge oats (optional)
• 3 tbsp. bran or wheatgerm (optional)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. dark muscovado sugar
• 2 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
• 2-3 tbsp. sunflower seeds
• 2-3 tbsp. pumpkin seeds
• 1 tbsp. mixture of above seeds

Wet -

• Almost 1 litre buttermilk
• 2 tbsp. vegetable/sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp. treacle
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Method:

1. Line two 9x4 inch/23x 12 cm loaf tins with baking parchment, ensuring it comes up over the sides.
2. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
3. Place all the dry ingredients in the centre of a large mixing bowl, stir to combine and then make a hollow in the centre.
4. Now for the sticky, sloppy part! Pour all the wet ingredients into the bowl and stir and mix and combine with all your might!          
5. Watch the amount of buttermilk you use. I normally have about 100 ml remaining. You want a mixture that is sloppy but not too runny. 
   

   

   This is what I call sloppy!

6. Pour half of the bread mixture into each loaf tin and drizzle with the remaining mixed seeds.
   

   
7. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes in the oven. Take them out and let them sit for 15 minutes before removing them from the loaf tins and leaving to cool on a wire rack.

8. Cut a thick slice, smother with your topping of choice and devour!