Flaxseed honey loaf (medium loaf)

Flaxseed, half broken, lends an interesting texture and light crunch in each mouthful

I needed some distraction and also to empty my pantry before my move. Now is the time to use that  bag of flaxseed residing in the fridge for the longest time.

The dough was slaggy and did not come together as a ball like most bread dough would.If you play with clay, this is about the same sensation when handling it. Roll, fold, no kneading needed.  It needed only 1 rise in a lined baking tray making it a fast recipe.

The loaf turns out soft and moist with good structure.  I cut back on the salt by 3g but would advise against it because it was not as flavorful as I would like.  Go for the full 9g; the honey sort of balances it and takes away the smell of the flax seed.

Credit, adapted from here

Ingredients:

227g lukewarm water

50g olive olive

10g honey

9g salt ( do not reduce )

300g bread flour

40g flaxseed that is partially milled for texture

2 tsp instant yeast

Milk for brushing

Method:

Prepare a Medium baking tray, lined with baking sheet

In a mixer bowl, add the ingredients in the order above.

Knead on low for 15 min.

Dough will be loose and wet. Add 1 tsp (max) to bring most of the dough together. If you are a seasoned baker, omit the 1 tsp of flour mentioned here.

Transfer the slaggy dough to a lightly floured worktop.

Fold into thirds, using a pastry scraper if needed. 

Rotate 90 degrees. Fold into thirds again.

Let the dough rise until the crown reaches the top of the tray.

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Just before baking, brush with milk, generously.

Bake at 190C for 35 minutes.

Transfer the bread on a rack to cool completely before cutting. This prevents the end product from becoming gummy.

Verdict : It is one of the softest and moist loaf. To keep,  precut and freeze. Toast before eating.