Plaited Spelt Milk Loaf

Regular followers will know bread is not my baking strong point. I decided to give a milk loaf a go as I have consistently failed at spelt sourdough.

I found this plaited spelt milk loaf recipe on the Doves Farm website and the reviews were favourable so thought it was worth giving a try. All I can say is it’s the easiest and best looking loaf ever to come out of my oven so I will definitely be baking this one again. Anyone daunted or frustrated by bread making should give this a go…. you might just give Paul Hollywood a run for his money with this one!

*I didn’t have enough white spelt flour so ended up using a mix of roughly 300g white and 200g whole grain spelt flour.

Makes 1 large loaf
Ingredients
7g sachet fast acting dried yeast
300ml luke warm milk
500g white spelt flour or strong white bread flour
½ tsp salt
50g softened butter
1 egg white
15g poppy or sesame seeds

Mix the yeast with 3 tablespoons from the luke warm milk, leave to stand for 15 minutes until it starts to bubble.

Weigh the flour and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer then mix in the yeast mix and all the milk using the dough hook. Add the softened butter into the dough and mix for about 5 minutes on medium speed until fully incorporated. Cover and rest in a warm place for 1 hour.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead briefly to knock back the dough.

Cut the dough into three and roll each into 30cm/12” lengths. Pinch the 3 ends together and start plaiting, pinching the other ends to finish. (To plait the dough lift one side of the dough over the middle section of dough then lift the other side of the dough over the one you have just moved into the middle.)

Lift the plait onto an oiled baking tray. Brush with egg white and top with a sprinkling of poppy or sesame seeds. Pre heat your oven to 200c or gas mark 6. Leave the loaf to rise for about 25 minutes in a warm place.

Bake in a pre-heated oven for 30/35 minutes until golden and a tap to the bottom sounds hollow.