Man-wich

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Also known as the No Need To Knead Loaf.

I’m a sucker for supermarket specials. It’s for that reason I should be banned from the local Lidl, I tend to go down to the shop and stock up on the discount fruit & veg, marvel at the savings I’ve made on those and then spend all I’ve saved on bits & bobs from the baskets on the middle aisle.

About a year or so ago I managed to pick up a set of mini-loaf tins and actually they have proved to be quite the bargain. I love baking bread at home but often if I bake a fresh loaf, it calls to me and I end up eating far more bread that I really should. Having a mini-loaf tin means that I can bake up 6 small loaves, then freeze what I don’t eat for later on in the week. They also make great rolls for lunchboxes.

My hubby often has to take a lunch to work with him. This is his man-wich of choice which involves only slices of homecooked ham (another money saving idea) and a bag of crisps on the side. This recipe makes 6 mini-loaves, if you can’t get your hands on such a tin, you can also buy mini-loaf wrappers online or you could bake this all at once in a standard loaf tin. Because you don’t need to knead the dough you do need to leave it for a long proving time so it’s perfect for making the dough first thing in the morning and then baking in time for lunch.

If you want to add a nutty finish then sprinkle the top with pumpkin & sesame seeds before baking like I did today.

Ingredients

• 300g strong white flour
• 100g whole wheat flour (coarse ground)
• 7g dried yeast (or 1 packet)
• 2 teaspoons of honey
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 450ml of water at room temperature
• Sunflower Oil to grease the tins (if you a spray bottle even better)

Equipment

• 1 large bowl
• 1 small cup & teaspoon
• Weighing scales
• Mini-loaf tin (for 6 mini loaves) or 6 mini-loaf wrappers
• Cling film
• 1 large spoon
• Cocktail sticks

Method

1. Put the salt in the bottom of the bowl.
2. Put the flour & yeast on top of the salt.
3. Take the cup and weigh out 100ml of the water, then add the honey to the cup. Stir with the spoon until combined.
4. Pour the small cup of water into the bowl, then put the bowl onto the weighing scales and measure out the remaining 300ml.
5. Get your hands into the bowl & mix the dried and wet ingredients until you get a loose batter.
6. Cover tightly with cling film and leave to rise for approximately 3 hours in a warm spot (but not in direct sunlight).
7. After 3 hours, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celcius.
8. Grease the tins using the sunflower oil.
9. Once the oven has reached temperature spoon the mixture into the tins, dividing equally.
10. Bake in the oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
11. Use a cocktail stick to confirm if it is cooked through by putting the cocktail stick through the middle of the loaf quickly and then removing. If no dough comes away on the stick then it is cooked through.