100% wholemeal bread

Hearty, wholesome and delicious. Love this recipe! It’s soft and fluffy and it contains 100% wholemeal flour with no white flour added. When toasted, the crust gives off a crispy edge – so irresistible that it’s impossible to stop after the first slice!

(Yields two sandwich loaf tins)

Ingredients:
Step A: 17 hours pre-fermented sponge dough:

• 1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 150g water
• 150g bread flour

1. Add yeast, water and flour in sequence into a container (same container for storage as well).
2. Mix with spatula till well combined.
3. Cover and leave at room temperature for 1 hour.
4. Keep inside refrigerator at least 17 hours before use.
5. Use all the chilled sponge dough after the 17 hours.
6. Note: It’s easier to make the sponge dough the evening before and keep it refrigerated overnight. The next morning, you can start using the sponge dough to bake the bread.

Step B: Main dough:

• 50g molasses sugar (or normal white sugar)
• 1 large egg
• 75ml milk
• 280 gm wholemeal hi-protein bread flour (or use 200g wholemeal flour + 150g bread flour)
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 50g salted butter, softened

Steps:

1. Place the pre-fermented sponge dough into a mixing bowl.
2. Add the rest of the  ingredients for main dough except butter.
3. Knead till it forms a dough.
4. Then add in butter and knead till smooth and elastic.
5. Cover and leave to rest for 1 hour 15 minutes.
6. After it has doubled its volume, punch down the dough and transfer to a working surface.
7. Knead a little.
8. Roll out into a rectangle shape.
9. Then roll into log and place into the greased loaf tin.
10. Leave the loaf to rest for 45 minutes or until it doubles in volume.
11. Bake in preheated oven at 180C for 30 minutes.
12. Remove and leave on wire rack to cool.