The Breakfast LoafThe method
Every flavour follows the same ten steps. Read it once before your first bake. After two or three loaves you won’t need to look.
Get ready
- 1
Long prep first, if there is any
Some flavours start by boiling a whole orange or lemons, which takes up to an hour and a half. The recipe flags it at the top. You can do it a day or two ahead and keep it in the fridge.
Nothing like getting your recipe under way to find out step two takes 2 hours!
- 2
Make the wet mix and soak
Whisk all the wet ingredients together: eggs, Greek yoghurt, oil and any fruit or flavourings. Stir in the chia seeds and ground flaxseed. Leave it at least 15 minutes while you do the next steps.
Why: Chia and flax soak up the liquid and help hold the loaf together.
- 3
Heat the oven and line the tin
170°C conventional (no fan). If you only have fan bake, try about 150°C and trust the skewer test. Grease the tin and line it with baking paper, long sides included.
My oven runs cold on fan, so I always bake these without it.
- 4
Prep the flavour
While the wet mix soaks, do whatever this flavour needs: sauté, toast, dry or grate.
- Toasting coconut is what lets its flavour survive the oven.
- Dry the corn well. Extra liquid is the main risk to the crumb.
- Squeeze the spinach dry. This one is non negotiable.
Mix
- 5
Whisk the dry ingredients
Whisk the flour, milk powder, psyllium, raising agents, salt, herbs and spices together in the second bowl.
Why: Psyllium clumps if it’s left in pockets, so spread it evenly.
- 6
Dry into wet
Tip the dry mix into the wet. Fold until just combined, then fold in any add ins. It will be thick and quite wet. That’s right.
Why: Less mixing gives a better loaf.
- 7
Fill and top
Spoon the batter into the tin, smooth the top and add any topping.
Bake
- 8
Bake and check
Check at 45 minutes, then every 2 to 5 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Most loaves take about 50. Every oven is different. If the top browns too fast, cover it loosely with foil.
Cool and keep
- 9
Cool
Leave the loaf in the tin for 10 to 20 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack. Let it cool completely before slicing.
Too soon and it sinks. Too long and it sweats.
- 10
Slice and freeze
Slice the cooled loaf, freeze the slices in a single layer, then bag them. They toast from frozen. It just takes a couple of goes in the toaster.
Too fat and it won’t fit the toaster. Too thin and you miss out on the protein and fibre.
Swaps that work
Skim milk powder for whole. A touch more protein, a little less fat. The loaf is a bit drier.
Any cooking oil. Rapeseed, olive or any neutral oil.
Ground almonds for almond meal.
A smaller tin. Use the Standard tin switch on any recipe. About tins
Batter looks too dry?
Add a little more yoghurt or oil, not another egg.
Something else not right? Loaf didn’t work? Check these first
That’s the lot. Pick your flavour.