Gail’s Bakery Seeded Buttermilk and Treacle Loaf
This deceptively easy bread recipe from Gail's requires no kneading or specialist equipment and produces a wonderful loaf sweet with treacle and packed with seeds.
Introduction
Don’t be put off by the lengthy list of ingredients. This is a batter bread: as easy as stirring a pot, and as rewarding. It has such powerful umami flavours that sometimes we’re left asking ourselves whether it’s a bread or a cake.
The recipe came to us via a South African friend. In South Africa this loaf is eaten like us Brits eat scones.
This amazing loaf is really an invitation to experiment. But do stick to this flour combination: it works. Excellent with smoked fish, cheeses and salads – oh, and it makes the best egg salad sandwich. A note on the treacle: black treacle would give you a strong flavour. Golden syrup or honey will give you a milder flavour.
Ingredients
| For the bread: | |
| 55g | strong white flour |
| 55g | strong wholemeal flour |
| 1 tsp | baking powder |
| 1 tsp | fine sea salt |
| 40g | rolled oats |
| 1 heaped tbsp | sesame seeds |
| 1 heaped tbsp | pumpkin seeds |
| 1 heaped tbsp | linseeds |
| 1 heaped tbsp | poppy seeds |
| 1 heaped tsp | nigella seeds |
| 175ml | buttermilk |
| 50g | treacle or golden syrup |
| 4 tsp | rapeseed oil |
| For the topping: | |
| 1 tsp | rolled oats |
| 1 tsp | sesame seeds |
| 1 tsp | nigella seeds |
| 1 tsp | sunflower seeds |
| 1 tsp | pumpkin seeds |
| 1 tsp | linseeds |
| 1 tsp | poppy seeds |
| ½ tsp | flaked sea salt |
Essential kit
You will need: a 19cm x 8cm loaf tin.
Method
Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3 and grease and line a 19cm x 8cm loaf tin with baking paper.
To make the bread, mix together the flours, baking powder, salt, oats and mixed seeds in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the buttermilk, treacle and rapeseed oil until combined. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir with a wooden spoon until evenly combined. The result should be more of a batter than a dough.
In a separate bowl, mix together the topping ingredients.
Pour the dough into the greased loaf tin and tap the tin lightly on the worktop to level the batter. Sprinkle the salt and seed mix over, and bake for 1 hour or until the centre springs back when lightly pressed.
Cool in the tin for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. This bread must be completely cold before slicing. It keeps brilliantly, and can be stored in an airtight box for a few days.
Reviews
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