Pete’s wholemeal oat loaf

I’ve just cranked out a wholemeal oat loaf, using the following recipe:

• 325 mls tepid tap water ( should have measured it at 25C, but didn’t as I was in a rush)
• 1 tbspn of virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ tspns of salt
• 1 tbspn of white death (sugar)
• 2 1/2 cups of of wholemeal flour (@ 11 per cent protein rating)
• ½ cup of rolled oats
• 1 ½ tbspns of plain four (for added bulk)
• 1 tspn of polenta
• 1 tspn of bread improver
• 1 ½ tbspns of milk powder
• 1 ¾ tspns of dry yeast.

 Again, I left out the gluten flour (1 tbspn), and set Breville Bev on the wholegrain setting with a medium crust – which is a 3-hour, 30-minute cycle. 

The mixing left a somewhat sticky mass in the bottom of the pan before the loaf started to rise.

The end result? Another winner! Albeit with a flat-ish dome.

I think I shd be able to get the dome up by adding more flour . . . stay tuned!

As with my previous wholemeal loaves, this one has a good, open consistency and excellent crumb . . . The extra oats add ooomph to the ‘earthy’ flavour.

PS: I'm enjoying my days away from the newspaper office. I get to do a lot of things I've been taking a bit too much for granted these past few years (sorry, Faye!).

For tonight's dinner, I've rustled up a great chicken curry (using Jamie Oliver's TV recipe for lamb!), popped out to register the car, put on two loads of washing (and folded one) and completed a client case study. I'm just about to whip next door and cut my neighbour's lawn (he's also Pete). Then at 3pm, I'm cycling up to my fave Marrickville cafe to have coffee with my oldest mate, Paul (we've known each other almost 50 years).

And all the while another loaf is churning away inside Bev . . .