Inspiring vegetarian recipes
Try our vibrant veggie dishes, from meat-free lasagne to vegetable curry and vegetarian chilli
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.
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).
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.
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.
Cool on a wire rack before eating on the day with butter and marmalade or jam, or toasted over the following week.