(1lb 2oz) wholemeal strong flour, plus extra to dust
7g
sachet fast-action dried yeast
oil, to grease
Directions
Step 1
Melt butter in a small pan and set aside until lukewarm, then stir in treacle. In a large bowl, mix flour, yeast and 11/4tsp fine salt. Make a well in the centre, then pour in butter mixture and 325ml (11fl oz) warm water. Mix quickly to incorporate liquid.
Step 2
With lightly floured hands, bring dough together in bowl, then tip on to a lightly floured surface (reserve bowl). Knead until smooth and elastic – about 10min. Form into a ball. Lightly grease cleaned-out bowl and add dough. Cover with greased clingfilm (oiled-side down). Leave in a warm place to rise for 45min.
Step 3
Punch down dough in bowl to knock air out, then knead in bowl for a few minutes. Reshape dough into a ball, cover and rise for a further 45min.
Step 4
Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Tip dough on to a floured surface and knead out air. To shape, flatten dough into a rough rectangle. Fold long edges into centre – this gives the dough strength as it rises. Turn dough over, smooth side up, and rock dough into a bloomer shape (try not to knock out air). Transfer to prepared baking sheet; cover loosely with greased clingfilm (oil-side down). Prove in a warm place for 45min, or until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) mark 7.
Step 5
Make diagonal cuts across top of proved dough, then sprinkle with a little flour. Bake for 35-40min until loaf is golden and sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack before serving.
GH Tips
TO STORE Once baked and cooled, store in a plastic food bag and at room temperature for up to 2 days.
TO FREEZE Once baked and cooled, wrap whole or sliced in clingfilm. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost before eating.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
