Easy Wholemeal Bread
1 large loaf
This recipe only requires 1-2 minutes of kneading and one rise.
500g Doves Farm Organic Spelt Flour or Hovis Wholewheat Flour
2-3 level teaspoons of Allinson Dried Yeast (the yellow tin, NOT the ‘Easy-Bake’ green tin. It might be OK, but I haven’t tried it).
2-3 Level teaspoons of Himalayan salt
400 ml hand-hot water
You will have to allow 1 – 2 hours for the bread to rise before baking.
1. No need to preheat the oven just yet.
2. Weight out the flour and add to a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the dried yeast and salt and give a little stir.
4. Fill a jug with 200ml of cold water. Add 200ml of boiling water to make up 400ml. This should give the water roughly the correct temperature to activate the yeast, but you may have to add a little more cold or hot to get the temperature just right. You should be able to put your hand in it (hand hot); if you can’t, you need to add a little more cold water, but you don’t want to cool it too much. Once you have the correct temperature make sure you pour out any excess water gained during the adjustment, so you only have 400ml.
5. Stir the water into the flour and gently mix it with a clean wooden or metal spoon until it resembles a dough. It should feel fairly dry, not wet and sticky. Gradually add a little flour if needed.
6. Turn onto a clean, lightly floured work surface.
7 . Flour the dough lightly and give it a gentle knead (see YouTube if you are new to bread making) for 1-2 minutes.
8. Grease a 2 lb loaf tin with olive or rapeseed oil.
9. Shape roughly into a bread shape and put into the tin. Leave to rise for 1 -2 hours, depending on how warm the room is. The warmer the room, the quicker it will rise. (don’t put it on a hot radiator, this is too hot; it needs to rise slowly).
10. Once risen, preheat the oven to 200c /400f /gas 6
11. place it on a low to middle height shelf for 30 – 40 mins.
12. Remove from the oven when ready and turn the bread out onto the work surface. Then place on a clean cooling rack to cool or sideways across the loaf tin if you haven’t got a rack. It will take a good hour to cool.
I would watch a few YouTube videos on how to make bread to give you an idea of what the dough should look like.
If you prefer white bread, there are plenty of recipes on YouTube. Just make sure you only use tannin-free ingredients.
Wooden spoons can absorb spices and flavorings, so make sure you only use one that is very clean or new.
Flapjacks
Makes 6 flapjacks
70g butter (see page 9).
40g sugar
40g of golden syrup (I use Lyles).
120g rolled Porridge oats, NOT jumbo oats.
Preheat the oven to 150c / 130c fan /gas mark 4.
1. Place a pan on the digital scales, turn the scales on, then pour the syrup into the pan (this is the easiest way of measuring syrup). Then add the butter and the sugar and place on the stove.
2. Melt the mixture gently on a medium heat until the sugar has almost dissolved. Once the butter has melted, gently simmer for one minute, no longer, or the flapjacks will set hard when cooked.
3. Take off the heat and stir in the oats. Stir for about 1 minute, then spread out the mixture on a greased baking tray. Place in the middle of the oven for 20-25 mins.
4. When cooked, let the flapjacks sit for 5 mins in the tray before cutting and placing on a rack or plate to cool.
Be careful not to scrape off any of the metallic coating on the tray when you cut out the flapjacks. It may contain tannin and contaminate the flapjacks. (At least for the 2-day diet).
Pancakes
Serves 1
50g plain wholewheat or Spelt Flour (or white flour if you prefer).
One Egg
Approx 150ml milk
Half a level teaspoon of Himalayan Salt
Rapeseed oil for cooking
1. Add the flour and salt to a jug or bowl.
2. Add the egg to the jug.
3. Add approximately 1-quarter of the milk to the jug and beat until a smooth, thick consistency. When all lumps are beaten out, gradually add the remaining milk until you have a smooth batter.
Leave the batter to sit for half an hour. If you are new to making pancakes, see YouTube for instructions on how to cook them.
Shortbread
125g softened unsalted butter (see page 9)
55g caster sugar plus extra to finish
180g of plain white flour (no additives)
1. Preheat the oven to 190c / 170c fan/ gas 5
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until a smooth paste.
3. Turn onto a work surface and gently roll out until 1 cm/half an inch thick.
4. Cut into rounds or fingers, and place onto a greased baking tray.
5. Sprinkle with caster sugar and chill in the fridge for 20 mins.
6. Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins, or until golden.
7. Set aside to cool on a clean wire rack.
Rice Pudding
Serves 2-3
This is a long, slow cook recipe.
One and a half pints of milk
75g white short-grain or pudding rice
One heaped tablespoon of sugar
Butter to grease an oven-proof dish (see page 9)
Preheat the oven to 160c / 140c fan / gas 3
1. Grease an oven-proof dish and add the rice and sugar.
2. Heat the milk in a pan until hot but don’t boil.
3. Pour the milk into the dish and stir gently.
4. Place in the middle of the oven for half an hour, then take it out and give it another stir.
5. Return to the oven for one and a half to two hours.
Apple Crumble and Apple pie
Use any recipe online but only use tannin-free ingredients.
White, wholemeal, or spelt flour, or a mixture of white and wholemeal.
Unsalted butter (see page 9)
Sugar
Bramley or Granny Smith apples, peeled to remove any pink or red traces of tannin. Don’t use any of the core.
You will find further information about how to follow the two day tannin elimination diet on the following pages: Introduction, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, and Miscellaneous Points and Reminders.