Muesli loaf

Method

• step 1

  Warm the milk and honey in a small pan (or in the microwave) to hand-hot, then stir in the yeast and wait for it to bubble and froth.

• step 2

  Meanwhile, mix the flour, oats, desiccated coconut, bran, bicarb, cinnamon and salt in your biggest mixing bowl. Tip in the yeasty milk mixture plus 200ml of hand-hot water and mix everything together to a sticky dough. Cover the bowl with lightly oiled clingfilm and leave the dough to rise at room temperature for 2 hours (or overnight in the fridge).

• step 3

  Tip the dried fruit, nuts and seeds into the bowl with the dough and knead in until evenly distributed. On your worksurface, use a little flour to help you shape the bread into an oval loaf. Carefully lift onto a baking sheet dusted with a little more bran or flour. Cover lightly with oiled clingfilm again, and leave to double in size. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.

• step 4

  Glaze the loaf with a splash more milk and scatter with some extra porridge oats, coconut and sunflower seeds. Use a floured knife to slash the top a few times (it helps the loaf to cook evenly) and bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden, well risen, and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap its base. Glaze the loaf with a splash more milk and scatter with some extra porridge oats, coconut and sunflower seeds. Use a floured knife to slash the top a few times (it helps the loaf to cook evenly) and bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden, well risen, and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap its base.

• step 5

  Cool on a wire rack before eating on the day with butter and marmalade or jam, or toasted over the following week.