Ingredients
- whole milk 150ml, plus a splash for glazing
- honey 4 tbsp
- dried active yeast 1 tbsp
- spelt flour 450g
- rolled porridge oats 50g, plus a little extra
- dessicated coconut 50g, plus a little extra
- oat bran 50g
- bicarbonate of soda 2 tsp
- ground cinnamon 2 tsp
- salt 1½ tsp
- dried apricots 75g, chopped
- dates 75g, chopped
- sultanas 50g
- dried cranberries 50g
- mixed nuts 100g, pecans and almonds)
- sunflower seeds 25g, plus a little extra
Method
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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Step 5
Cool on a wire rack before eating on the day with butter and marmalade or jam, or toasted over the following week.
Nutritional Information
- Kcals 345
- Fat 10.5g
- Saturates 3.3g
- Carbs 48.8g
- Fibre 5.6g
- Protein 10.9g
- Salt 1.2g
