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COUNTRY SULTANA AND mALT LOAF
Organic Country Fayre Malted Brown flour
A flour that tastes and smells a bit different; Country Fayre is a combination of strong wheat flour plus malt flour and cracked malted grains of wheat to give a rich, distinctive flavour to bread. Malt adds a slight natural sweetness, which is boosted here with sultanas for a lovely, light textured and moist loaf with plenty of character to go with honey and jam or, best of all, a good blue cheese.
Makes 4 x 450g/1lb loaves OR 2 x 900g/2lb loaves
- 1kg Marriage’s Organic Country Fayre Malted Brown Flour
- 15g sea salt
- 30g organic unsalted butter, diced
- 2 x 7g sachets easy-blend dried yeast OR 25g fresh yeast
- About 650ml tepid water
- 300g organic sultanas
- 4 x 450g/1lb loaf tins (about 19 x 13 x 7cm) OR 2 x 900g/2lb loaf tins (about 25 x 13 x 7cm), greased
Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the diced butter and rub in using the tips of your fingers, until the mixture looks like crumbs. If using dried yeast, mix it in very thoroughly. If using fresh yeast, crumble it into a small bowl and mix with a quarter of the water, then add to the remaining water.
Make a well in the flour mixture (or flour /dried yeast mixture). Add the water, or the water/fresh yeast mixture, to the bowl and gradually work in the flour to make a soft but not sticky dough. If there are dry crumbs in the bottom of the bowl or the dough feels dry and stiff, work in a little extra water.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead very thoroughly for 5 minutes or until very smooth and pliable. If using a large free-standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, divide the dough in two and knead each batch for 4 minutes on low speed.
Work the sultanas into the dough then return the dough to the mixing bowl and cover with a snap-on lid, or cling film, or slip the bowl into a large plastic bag and leave in a warm spot until doubled in size – about 1 hour (it will take 2-3 hours in a cool room or overnight in the fridge).
Punch down the risen dough to deflate, then turn out onto a floured work surface. Divide into four, and use one portion for each 450g tin or 2 portions for each 900g tin. Gently knead the portions for a minute then shape to fit the prepared tins. Cover the dough-filled tins as before and leave in a warm place until doubled in size – about 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time heat the oven to 220°C/430°F/Gas Mark 7.
Bake large loaves for about 35 minutes, medium ones for 25 minutes, or until a good golden brown and the turned-out loaves sound hollow when tapped underneath. Turn out and cool on a wire rack.
