Malt loaf
Seek out malt extract from a good bakery and make your own dried fruit-packed treacly malt loaf – great for picnics or a yummy afternoon snack for kids.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp malt extract
- 2 tbsp black treacle
- 25g/1oz butter, plus extra for greasing
- 350g/12oz strong white bread flour, plus extra for flouring
- 100g/3½oz strong wholemeal flour
- pinch salt
- 14g/½oz fast action yeast
- 225g/8oz sultanas
- 250ml/9fl oz warm water
- 1 tbsp warm honey, to glaze
Method
Place the sugar, malt extract, treacle and butter in a pan and heat gently until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool.
Mix the flours, salt, yeast and sultanas in a mixing bowl.
Pour in the cooled malt syrup mixture and the warm water. Mix thoroughly; the mixture will be soft and sticky.
Turn the mixture onto a floured surface and knead gently for a few minutes to bring the mixture together.
Grease two 450g/1lb loaf tins and divide the mixture among them. Smooth the mixture with the back of a spoon so that the top is smooth and level. Cover each tin with a plastic bag so that it is loose and not touching the top of the tin. Leave for a couple of hours, or until the dough has risen to the top of the tins.
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Remove the plastic bags and bake for 30-40 minutes. If the top of the loaf starts to brown too quickly, cover with a sheet of foil and continue baking.
Remove from the oven and brush the top with warm honey to glaze. Cool on a wire rack.
Slice and eat with butter.
