English Cottage Bread

Adapted from  The World of Bread by Alex Goh

Ingredients:

400g bread flour
100g whole meal plain flour
55g caster sugar
3 tsp instant yeast
20g milk powder
1 egg
260g cold water
1 tsp bread improver
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp chia seeds
3 tbsp pepitas
60g olive oil

• In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine flours, sugar, yeast, yoghurt and egg together.  Knead to form into a slightly sticky soft dough.  Add in salt and continue to knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).

• Add in oil and continue to knead until fully incorporated.   
  [At this stage, the dough should be able to stretched to form a window-like thin membrane without breaking].

• Shape the dough  into a smooth ball and place in a greased  bowl.  Cover with lightly oiled clingfilm.  Then place it in a warm, moist and draught-free place to allow the dough to rise until at least double or nearly triple its original size.
  [To determine if the dough has risen long enough, poke a floured finger into the  dough.  When you remove your finger, the dough shouldn't spring back at all.  If the dough springs back immediately, it is underproved and needs more time to proof further.]

• Once the dough has doubled in size, punch down by pressing the dough out evenly with your hands.

• Roll the dough into a ball. Rest for 10 minutes.  
• Flatten the dough and roll it up like a swiss roll.

• Place the roll into a greased loaf pan and cover with lightly oiled clingfilm.  For final proofing, leave it to rise in a warm, moist and draught-free place until it nearly doubled in size.   

• Bake in a preheated oven of 175 degrees C for about 20 -  25 minutes or until golden brown.

• Brush the bread with melted butter.