MIX GRAIN BREAD

AUTHOR:
MAE

Yields Dough Enough For One 3 lbs Loaf Tin

INGREDIENTS:

500g Strong white bread flour
50g Barley flour
1 and 1/2 tspn instant yeast
3 tspns Demerara sugar
1 tspn salt
2-3 handfulls wholegrain Spelt flour
3/4 pints of luke warm water (430ml)
​
METHOD:

-Mix all the dry ingredients in a big high sided mixing bowl
-Make a "well" with your fingers in the middle.
-Add about a third of the water into the centre then start mixing the water with the flour mix with your finger tips
-Trickle in the rest of the water as the first lot of water has started to combine with the flour; keep mixing in the trickling water with the flour.
-Once all the water has been added, making sure all dry bits of flour get combined into the dough, now using your whole hand start working the dough into a ball form.
-Scrap off any dough sticking to your hand against the rim of the bowl; using your fingertips scrap off any dough from the rim edge and add it back into the centre dough ball.
-Now loosly grabbing the front end of the dough ball (the side furthest from you (the side closest being the base end) so that your fingertips roll over the "hidden edge" allowing the heal of your palm to sit comfortably on the middle of the dough ball.
-Now using the heal of your palm, push the section of dough in your palm outwards away from you, into the direct of your fingers so that you are stretching out that part of the dough; then without letting go, as part of the continuation action bring back that part of the dough into the centre and gently push the tip end of it, into the centre with your fingertips causing a sort of stretching and folding action. This is "the basic kneading action".
-This action needs to be repeat several times with often the need of turning the bowl 90 degrees clockwise, until the dough can become "manageable" enough that you can pick it up and turn the dough 90 degrees clockwise.
-Once the dough has come to the stage where it can be turned, leave it to rest for 15 minutes covering with a clean damp cloth.


*****
IF USING A STAND MIXER
-Mix all the dry ingredients in the stand mixer's bowl
-Add about a third of the water into the centre then start the stand mixer on a low speed
trickle in the rest of the water as the first lot of water has started to combine with the flour
-Once all the water as been added slowly turn up the speed N.B. NEVER GO BEYOND THE RECOMMENDED SPEED FOR DOUGH MIXING FOR YOUR MIXER!)
-Mix at the maximum ALLOWED SPEED FOR DOUGH, for about 3-5 minutes a nice smooth consistency should be formed. (ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR OWN MIXER'S INSTRUCTIONS FOR CONTINUOS RUNNING TIME NEVER EXCEED THIS! If need be, run the mix in several recommended short bursts, giving time for your motor to cool down. 
-Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and cover with a clean damp cloth and let it rest for 15 minutes.
*****

ONCE YOUR DOUGH HAS RESTED:

-Grease liberally your loaf tin
-On a clean surface sprinkle a handful of the spelt flour, then turn out the dough onto the floured surface.
-Sprinkle a little spelt flour on top of the dough ball and taking a dusting on both your hands, start to knead the dough. In this stage the kneading process now needs to be repeated with turning the dough around 90 degrees between each "knead" action. You may need to add few more sprinkles of spelt flour as you work the dough to keep it manageable, you also may find it easier to knead with both hands, where the second is there to more assist with maintaining the dough and adding spelt flour where needed etc, as opposed to actually "kneading" with two hands.
-This needs to be continued for around 5 minutes.
-After this the dough should feel quite plump and stretchy.
-Sprinkle a touch more flour on the worktop surface above your dough ball now face the top "tucking in" centre of the dough to you so that the smoother end is facing away from you and towards the freshly sprinkled flour; place both palms of your hands on the centre of the tucked in end so that your fingers roll over the top.
-Now gently push in and out the dough with your palms as you would a rolling pin in the centre. This will make your smooth side dip into the spelt sprinkle causing a nice dusting of spelt on for your top crust. This rolling action also will elongate your dough ball into a cylinder shape. 
-Once the desired length is reached gently lift it and place it into your well greased loaf tin so that the tucked in bit is at the bottom and the smooth now flour dusted top is facing upwards.
-Cover with your clean damp cloth, and leave to rise in a warm place for at least an hour to three hours.

BAKING:

-Pre-heat oven at 200 degrees Celsius, (Gas mark 6)
-Bake at 200 degrees celsius (Gas mark 6) for around 40-50 mins depending on your oven. 
-To check if the bread is done, it should come out of the tin with ease when flipped over. 
-To do this you will need to make sure you have a thick folded clean tea towel in your hand to hold the bread with. While holding the hot tin with oven mitts, hold the top of the bread with your tea towel now flip the bread upside down on to your hand with the tea towel, the bread should come out on to the tea towel in your hand, take care not to burn your hand!!!(depending on your tin/greasing sometimes a gentle tap will be needed) Alternatively it can be flipped out on to a wire rack.
(if it doesn't come out when flipped even with a tap it needs further cooking give a further 10-15 mins.)
-Once it easily comes out the bottom should be a beautiful light brown colour and feel like a nice crust has formed (there should also be a beautiful rustic thin crust at the top) and when brought near your ear and gently tapped on the base with your hand, a hollow sound should be heard, indicating the bread has cooked from the inside and is nice and airy inside giving a nice spongy middle.
If the crust has not yet formed but sounds like it has cooked on the inside, put it back in the tin and back into the oven for a further 5 mins.

Leave it to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before you attempt to cut it.

Its is best enjoyed warm!

If on the off chance you are unable to consume it whilst still warm, once fully cooled it can be wrapped in cling film and enjoyed over the next three to four days if kept in a cool place.

MY WEIGHING CHEATS:

As you may have guessed by now I avoid using scales as far as possible so here is my no weighing cheat; when you are baking with kids the less fuss the more fun.

You can use a measuring cup instead of weighing out the flour,

3 x 1 "measuring" cup (250ml size ) strong bread flour
1 x 1/2 "measuring" cup ( 125ml size) Barley Flour

​Rest of the ingredients as above.