This bread is a classic village loaf, it’s one of my favourites, it was inspired by my visits to Greece.. If you don’t have, or don’t want to use honey just use sugar instead. This was made using a food mixer but hand kneading directions are included.

Ingredients

• 450gms strong bread flour
• 150g wholemeal flour
• 2tbls of virgin oil, I use Scottish Rapeseed.
• 350mls  warm milk or water (lukewarm so as not to kill yeast)
• 15gms (2 pkts)easy cook yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1dsp of honey

Directions

1. In a your Food mixer mixing bowl if using, measure out your 600gms flour. On opposite sides of the bowl, place your salt, yeast and honey, it is very important at this stage not to allow the yeast and the salt to touch.
2. Create a well in the centre of your flour, add the oil and your warm milk/water.
3. Bring the mixture together using your a wooden spoon until combined.
4. Using a dough hook set your mixer to 2 and knead for 7mins
5. If kneading by hand then; Turn  mixture out onto a floured surface and start to knead until dough feels both smooth and elastic/stretchy, (10-15mins).  (Kneading is the process in the making of bread or pasta to properly mix the ingredients and strengthen the dough
6. Once mixed allow your dough to rise in a well oiled covered bowl for around 90mins until the dough has doubled in size
7. Turn your bread out onto a floured surface and knock out the air.
8. Fashion into a ball shape and place on a floured baking tray, tucking the edges under to maintain the shape. Allow to rise again for 25minsSsprinkle some flour over your bread and score the top with a knife.
9. Bake in the centre of  apre heated hot oven 220’C, 425’F for 25mins
10. The way to check if your bread is ready is to knock the bottom of your bread, the bread should sound hollow when ready.
11. If you need to put bread back into the oven do so without the trays for another 5 mins or so until you are happy with the final sound. Don’t over analyse as bread really does not take too long to cook and 25-35 mins is nearly always long enough.