Autumn Breakfast: Homemade Brown Bread and Strawberry Jam

I can't think of a better breakfast for a lazy wet Autumn morning. I have frozen multiple unbaked batches of this bread. Take a portion out of the freezer the night before and next morning you are less than a hour away from fresh brown bread. It's a great way to get out of the habit of buying white sliced pan for that addictive but destructive toast!

Brown Bread

Ingredients

125g plain flour

1 heaped tsp bread soda

1 level tsp salt

350g whole wheat flour

30g bran

1 level tsp caster sugar

25g butter

150g natural yogurt

1 egg

Buttermilk

Method

Pre-heat the oven to Gas 7/220C/425F

Use a 2lb loaf tin lightly greased

Sieve the plain flour, bread soda and salt into a large mixing bowl.

Add the whole wheat flour, bran and sugar and mix thoroughly with your hands.

Rub in the butter.

Beat the yogurt and egg together and add enough buttermilk to make up to 425ml.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the milk mixture. Mix quickly with a fork.

Turn out onto a board or surface dusted with flour and knead lightly.

Shape and place into the tin and make three shallow cuts with a knife.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 40 minutes, until risen and golden brown.

A cooked loaf will sound hollow when the bottom is tapped.

**If freezing, just prepare the bread up to stage of kneading. After this, I usually shape into a ball and put into a plastic sandwich/freezer bag and into the freezer. It can be re-shaped for the tin once defrosted**

Now that's the bread sorted, lets move onto the jam. The recipe I have chosen is from Pam Corbin's The River Cottage Preserves Handbook. It makes 4-5 340g jars.

Strawberry Jam

Ingredients

1kg strawberries with tops removed - larger ones may need to be halved or quartered

500g granulated sugar

450g jam sugar [has added pectin]

150ml lemon juice

Method

*Before you start, put a saucer in the fridge to allow to chill - this will be used to test for jam setting*

Put 200g of the strawberries in a pot with 200g of the granulated sugar

Crush to a pulp with a potato masher/fork

Place the pot on a gentle heat and when warm, add the rest of the strawberries

Gently heat to simmering point, stirring to the bottom of the pan so the fruit doesn't begin to stick

Simmer for five minutes to allow the fruit to soften a little

Add the remaining granulated sugar, and jam sugar and stir gently to prevent the sugar sticking and burning

When the sugar has dissolved, add the lemon juice

Increase the heat and when the mix has reached a full boil, boil rapidly for 8-9 minutes

Test for setting point by putting a little on the chilled saucer and pushing with your finger. If it crinkles, the jam is ready. If not, boil for a little longer, constantly checking for a set.

Remove from the heat and stir to disperse any scum that may have formed on the surface.

Pot into sterilised jars and seal. Use within twelve months.

The perfect couple....