PORRIDGE BREAD

Jenny Chandler

Makes 1 loaf

This loaf really is child’s play – my young daughter can throw it together in minutes. It’s great for using up any random seeds you might have in the cupboard. You could add nuts, too. Keeps well for a couple of days.

Ingredients

500g plain yoghurt, 1 tbsp treacle, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 350g medium porridge oats, 50g mixed seeds such as poppy, flax, sunflower, sesame or pumpkin

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a 2-pound (900g) loaf tin. If in doubt about the size of your tin, it should hold 1 litre of water. Don’t worry too much about greasing the ends: a rectangle of paper lying across the bottom and sides will do the trick.

Pour the yoghurt, treacle and olive oil into a large bowl and stir until well combined. Sprinkle over ½ tsp salt and the bicarbonate of soda, then add the oats and most of the seeds.

Stir well until you have a wet, sticky dough, then tip into the prepared tin. Flatten the top slightly with a damp spoon (making it wet stops the porridge from sticking to it). Sprinkle with the remaining seeds.

Bake in the oven for 50-60 mins, checking after about 45 mins that the crust is not getting too dark (you can always cover it with a piece of foil).

Turn the bread out of the tin onto a wire rack. If the bottom still feels a little soggy, turn the bread upside down onto a baking tray and put it back in the oven for another 5 mins. Allow to cool before serving.

Image: Kim Lightbody