How to Make Easy Wholemeal Bread

A Simple Recipe for Healthy Brown Bread

Nov 9, 2008 Jen Syrkiewicz

Bread is the staple food of most of the Western world, as it is cheap, easy to make and always readily available. This simple recipe makes two great loaves.

Many people think that bread is difficult or time consuming to make, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The problem with bread these days is that it is very cheap and available everywhere. In today’s culture it is difficult to find time to cook at all, let alone something which is so readily available in every store.

This recipe has been designed to produce beautiful, light and crusty loaves with the delicious goodness of wholemeal flour. It is measured in ml to make it easier for the cook to use a single jug to measure out the ingredients.

Ingredients for the Bread

• 1 tbsp (15 ml) of lard
• 225 ml of warm water
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1425 ml of all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp of sugar
• 1 sachet of dried yeast

Method for Preparation

• Put the yeast in a large bowl; add the warm water, sugar, salt and lard
• Add 700 ml of flour and mix to a smooth paste
• Add the remaining flour and water
• Mix until it is smooth and let raise in a warm place for an hour
• Knead the dough thoroughly until it is easy to stretch and work
• Divide the mixture in to two halves and form into loaves
• Place in to two greased loaf tins and let the dough raise to the top of the tins
• Bake at 400 degrees (200 C.) for 30 minutes
• Turn out and let it cool
• Eat and enjoy!

A Note on Using Fresh Yeast

Compressed fresh yeast comes in small square cakes. The substance is moist and perishable. It must be refrigerated and used within a week or two, or by the date indicated on the package. It can be frozen, but should be defrosted at room temperature and used immediately. One cake of fresh yeast can be substituted for one envelope of dry yeast.

The use of compressed fresh yeast has been primarily replaced by the more convenient active dry yeast.

Active dry yeast comes in the form of tiny, dehydrated granules. The yeast cells are alive but dormant because of the lack of moisture. When mixed with a warm liquid (105 to 115 F), the cells once again become active. Active dry yeast is available in two forms, regular and quick-rising , of which the latter takes about half as long to leaven bread. They may be used interchangeably (with adjustments in rising time) and both are available in 1/4-ounce envelopes.

Regular active dry yeast may also be purchased in 4-ounce jars or in bulk in some health-food stores. It should be stored in a cool, dry place, but can also be refrigerated or frozen. It should always be at room temperature before being dissolved in liquid. Properly stored, it's reliable when used by the expiration date, which should be stamped on the envelope or jar label. One package of dry yeast is equal to 1 scant tablespoon of dry yeast or 1 cake of compressed fresh yeast.

The copyright of the article How to Make Easy Wholemeal Bread in Recipes is owned by Jen Syrkiewicz. Permission to republish How to Make Easy Wholemeal Bread in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Wholemeal bread recipe