Easy homemade bread

I found this recipe in an old British Good Food magazine. It caught my eye because, not only to I like to make bread, but the recipe promised that it was a yeast bread that requires no kneading (?!?) I always thought that yeast bread had to be kneaded to activate the gluten in the flour so that it can trap the air bubbles of carbon dioxide that the yeast produces. Needless to say, I had to try to make that bread.

The result was a very good bread with a moist, dense crumb. I know it will make good toast in the morning spread with strawberry jam made a few weeks ago by my friend Bonnie.

It really was very simple to make and the second loaf can be frozen.

Sheila Dillon's Grant Loaf (based on a recipe in BBC Good Food magazine, February 2009)

1 lb, 9 oz (700 g) wholewheat flour (I used unbleached bread flour)

8 oz (200 g) oatmeal (spelt flour, white flour or corn meal - I used polenta corn flour)

3 teaspoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 X 8 g package quick-rise yeast

850 ml warm water

* Grease two large loaf pans. Preheat the oven to 400F. Mix the flours, salt and yeast together in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre of the bowl and stir in the water and oil. The dough will be like very thick porridge. Divide the mixture between the two loaf pans. Cover the pans with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes or until the dough is just over the edge of the pan (about double the size). Bake the bread for about 40 minutes until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove loaves from pan and let cool on a wire rack.