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Dad’s Brown Bread

My dad cooked few things when we were growing up, but he was famous for his amazing brown bread. I love big, thick slices of it, buttered and spread with jam. Though you can halve the quantities to make just one loaf, I usually make two loaves and freeze one.

MAKES 2 X 900G (2LB) LOAVES VEGETARIAN

Sunflower oil, for greasing

350g (12oz) wholemeal flour

350g (12oz) plain flour

75g (3oz) bran

50g (2oz) wheatgerm

50g (2oz) pinhead oatmeal or oats

50g (2oz) brown sugar

1½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 eggs

1 litre (1¾ pints) buttermilk

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6.

2 Grease 2 x 900g (2lb) loaf tins with sunflower oil or line with parchment or non-stick paper.

3 Place the flours, bran, wheatgerm, oatmeal, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Sift in the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix thoroughly.

4 Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl and add the buttermilk. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the eggs and buttermilk. Using one hand with your fingers open and stiff, mix in a full circle, bringing the flour and liquid together. The dough should be soft and sloppy.

5 Divide the dough between the prepared tins and place in the centre of the oven. Bake for 1 hour, then remove the bread from the tin and place back in the oven again without the tins for another 10–15 minutes until the loaves sound hollow when you tap them on the bottom.

Rachel’s handy tip

If you slice your bread before you freeze it, then all you have to do is take a piece out of the freezer whenever you want toast.