Wholemeal coffee bread

Nothing beats the smell of a freshly baked bread wafting through the house. Plus the versatility of bread baking is so vast – you can add anything you want to the bread you bake. Baking bread from scratch ensures that I include healthy and fresh ingredients in place of artificial flavorings or other additives that are common in store-bought ones. I am now addicted to baking bread which I serve for breakfast everyday. Alfred and Svadhi are avid fans of bread. So I find myself baking a fresh loaf every alternate days. It gives me immense pleasure seeing them devour the bread.

Ingredients: (makes one 9-inch loaf pan)

• 150 gm bread flour
• 150 gm hi-protein wholemeal flour
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 10 gm butter
• 170 ml warm water
• Coffee chips (plus some for decorating)

Method:

1. Dissolve instant yeast and sugar in a 2 tablespoon lukewarm water.
2. Place bread flour, wholemeal flour and salt in a mixing bowl and stir with a whisk to combine. 
3. Add the yeast mixture to the flour and stir to combine.
4. Add the butter and mix well.
5. Add water and mix thoroughly.
6. Knead to form a smooth ball.
7. Place the dough in a big mixing bowl, and cover it with cling wrap. Let is rise till double in bulk, takes about 1 hour.
8. Remove dough from mixing bowl. Knock out the dough and give a few light kneading.
9. Gently flatten the dough and shape into a smooth ball. Place dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
10. Cover with a damp towel or plastic bag and let it proof for another 30mins. (Note that this time round, instead of cling wrap, you should cover the dough with a damp cloth, as the cling wrap may stick onto the dough and prevent it from rising properly).
11. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius. Dust with some wholemeal flour and make 2 long slits on the dough with a sharp knife.
12. Bake for 30 minutes until the crust turns golden brown.
13. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.