PAULA’S BROWN BREAD

I’ve been making brown bread since I was a child. My mother baked several times a week, so for us shop-bought bread was a treat. When the snow caused the sliced pan debacle in February, I just reached into the press and took out my baking box!

Makes one loaf

• olive oil cooking spray, for greasing

• 250g plain flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 200g porridge oats

• 50g oat bran

• 25g mixed sunflower and pumpkin seeds, plus extra for the top

• 1 egg

• 300ml buttermilk or milk kefir

• 2 tbsp sunflower oil

1Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a 1lb loaf tin with the oil.

2Sieve the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl, then add the porridge oats, oat bran and seeds, mixing to combine with a wooden spoon.

3Whisk the egg in a cup, then whisk in half of the buttermilk or kefir. Put the remaining buttermilk or kefir and the sunflower oil in a separate cup and whisk those together.

4Pour the oil and buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients along with most of the egg mixture, reserving a little for glazing. Stir to combine — the batter will be quite wet.

5Transfer the batter to the greased loaf tin, smoothing the top with the back of the wooden spoon. Brush the top with the remaining egg mixture and scatter with extra seeds, pushing them down a little to help them stick.

6Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Take the loaf out of the tin and tap the bottom of the loaf; if it sounds hollow, it’s done. Put the loaf, out of the tin, back in the oven for five minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

TIP

You can buy milk kefir in supermarkets or health food shops. If you want to have a go at making your own, you can buy kefir grains online.