A Grant loaf is a

wholemeal bread Whole wheat bread or wholemeal bread is a type of bread made using flour that is partly or entirely milled from whole or almost-whole wheat grains, see whole-wheat flour and whole grain. It is one kind of brown bread. Synonyms or near-synonym ...

, invented by accident in World War II by baker

Doris Grant Doris Margaret Louise Grant, ''née'' Cruikshank (25 January 1905 – 27 February 2003) was a British nutritionist and food writer, the inventor of the wartime Grant loaf. Life Grant was born in Banff, Aberdeenshire on 25 January 1905 to William ...

to encourage workers to eat well on their rations. The loaf was subsequently named after her. It is peculiar amongst breads made with a yeast in that kneading is not necessary.

Typical recipe

*450g strong wholemeal flour (alternatively you can use

Spelt Spelt (''Triticum spelta''), also known as dinkel wheat or hulled wheat, is a species of wheat that has been cultivated since approximately 5000 BC. Spelt was an important staple food in parts of Europe from the Bronze Age to medieval times. No ...

) *1 tsp brown sugar such as

Muscovado Muscovado is a type of partially refined to unrefined sugar with a strong molasses content and flavour, and dark brown in colour. It is technically considered either a non-centrifugal cane sugar or a centrifuged, partially refined sugar accordin ...

(1 tablespoon of honey may be used instead) *2 teaspoons of salt *Yeast *400-450ml of hand-hot water Begin by warming the flour in your oven for about 10 minutes on the lowest heat. Place the warmed flour into a bowl and add the salt, sugar and yeast. Mix these together, make a small well in the centre and gradually add the water, using your hands or a wooden spoon to combine all the ingredients into a dough. (At this point the dough may seem quite wet, which is normal for a Doris Grant loaf.) Move the dough to a floured pastry board and stretch it out into an oblong. Take one side, fold it into the centre and do the same for the other side, turn it over and repeat. Place the dough into a well greased tin, cover with a sprinkling of flour and leave to rise for 30–40 minutes in a warm place, or for about an hour at room temperature. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C and bake the bread for 30–40 minutes. The bread should sound hollow when tapped if it is fully cooked. Return the bread to the oven (out of the tin) for a further 5–10 minutes to crisp up the base and sides. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

References

External links

Delia Smith's version of the recipe with cooking instructions
United Kingdom home front during World War II Wartime recipes Yeast breads British breads {{bread-stub