Porridge Bread Recipe

There are fewer things in life simpler than a loaf of bread. And yet, there is nothing simple about a good quality loaf, nothing as enticing, inviting or appetising, satisfying or as wholesome. There is even something almost spiritual about the process of combining essentially flour, water and yeast. The work. The waiting. The care. The coaxing. The minding. Good bread mimics life, and life, bread. I have often said that you could give me a crusty baguette, a soft ripe creamy cheese, and a glass, okay a bottle, of a gutsy but fruity red, and I am most certainly a happy man. “A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou.”

Therefore you can imagine my shock when I recently discovered a flour-less and yeast-less bread.A wheat free bread made entirely of porridge oats and low fat yoghurt (and a few other ingredients but we’ll get to that).However,not only is it fantastically simple but also really, really tasty. I would not be recommending it otherwise. I’m sure many of you have heard of it, I had, and indeed many of you may have tried it. However this is the best recipe I have tried and I urge you to try it out and see for yourself. There are also plenty of variations you can try with this which I will return to at a later date. I have my mind on a stout and a strong, sharp cheddar combination that I will report back on if it works. I also have a philosophy of making the best recipe possible. I also understand that some people are tight for time or indeed just don’t have the interest in spending their whole evening in the kitchen. So, to make an excellent bread follow the recipe below. To make it more special GO THE EXTRA MILE. Here it is:

Porridge and Yoghurt Bread

Ingredients

• 1 large tub (500ml) of Low fat natural yoghurt or GO THE EXTRA MILE use 250ml low fat yoghurt and 250ml buttermilk
• 1 beaten egg (preferably free range or organic)
• 300g Porridge Oats
• 2 tsp Bread Soda
• ½ tsp salt or 1tsp sea salt flakes e.g. Maldon Salt

Optional

• 2 tbsp Mixed seeds (e.g. sunflower, pumpkin, sesame etc.)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C (Fan oven), 350F, Gas Mark 4
2. Grease a 2lb loaf tin and line the base with backing parchment. Then grease the backing parchment.
3. Whisk the beaten egg and yoghurt together in a bowl until combined
4. In a separate bowl add the oats, bread soda, salt, and mixed seeds, if using. Add to the yoghurt and egg and stir until thoroughly combined. It is quite a wet mixture so don’t be concerned
5. Add the mixture to the tin, sprinkle with mixed seeds and bake at 180C for 30 mins.
6. Lower the temperature to 150C, 300F, Gas Mark 2 and bake for a further 30 mins.
7. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack to cool

GO THE EXTRA MILE

8. Remove the bread from the oven and turn it out top down onto a wire cooling rack. Peel off the baking paper. Place the wire rack onto a baking tray and return to the oven. Turn the heat back up to 180C, 350F, Gas Mark 4. Bake for a further 10 minutes
9. Remove from the oven, cover loosely in clean tea towel and let cool.
10. Enjoy!