Easy to follow Dark Bread
Dark Bread, simplified, friendly, and bench-side guided.
Dark bread is made with wholemeal or wheatmeal flour, which gives it:
- A darker colour
- A fuller, nuttier flavour
- A slightly denser crumb than white bread
It’s more nutritious than white bread, but it needs a little more care with water and time. Once you know that, it’s very straightforward.
🍞 Dark Bread — Don’t Fight the Dough
Dark bread isn’t meant to feel tight or stiff.
Wholemeal flour drinks more water than white flour, so the secret is a soft, relaxed dough.
If it feels a little tacky at first — you’re doing it right.
Give it time, gentle kneading, and patience…
and it’ll reward you with flavour, texture, and a proper loaf. (https://kookssecrets.com/2025/05/04/the-secret-history-of-bread/).
Soft dough. Steady rise. Better bread.
#DarkBread #WholemealBread #BreadBasics #KooksSecrets #ChefTip #BakeWithConfidence #RealBread
Easy to follow Dark Bread
Equipment
- 1 Bench or clean work surface
- 1 Oven
Ingredients
- 250 g Bakers Flour Unbleached
- 250 g wholemeal or wheatmeal flour (about 1⅔ cups)
- 10 g Salt
- 320 -350 ml Water – Wholemeal flour absorbs more water than white flour — this dough should feel soft, not stiff.
- 10 g dried yeast (2 teaspoons)
- 20 g oil or melted butter (1 tablespoon)
Instructions
Mix the dry ingredients
- Place the bakers flour, Wholemeal flour, and salt into a large bowl.Stir well to combine.
Add the yeast
- Sprinkle in the dried yeast and mix it through the flour.
Add the liquids
- Pour in the lukewarm water and oil or melted butter.Mix until a rough dough forms.Don’t worry if it feels slightly sticky — that’s normal for dark bread.
Knead the dough
- Turn the dough onto the bench.Knead for 10–12 minutes until:Smooth (but not silky like white dough)ElasticSoft and slightly tackyHow it should feel: Firmer than cake batter, softer than modelling clay.
First rise
- Place dough into a lightly oiled bowl.Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for 60–75 minutes, until doubled in size.Dark breads often take a little longer to rise — that’s normal.
Knock back
- Gently press the air out of the dough.This improves crumb structure and evens the rise.
Shape the loaf
- Shape into:A loaf for a tin, orA free-form oval for tray bakingPlace into a greased tin or onto a lined tray.
Second rise
- Cover and allow to rise for 35–45 minutes.The dough should:Look puffySlowly spring back when pressed lightly.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 220°C (fan 200°C).Bake for 35–40 minutes until:Deep brownFirm crustHollow sound when tapped underneath
Cool
- Remove from oven and cool on a rack before slicing.Dark bread finishes setting as it cools — slicing too early makes it gummy.
Ready to use
- Dark bread is perfect for:ToastSandwichesOpen sandwichesBreakfast breads
Mark’s bench-side advice
- Heavy loaf? Needs more water or longer rise.Dry crumb? Too much flour during kneading.Poor rise? Dough too stiff or kitchen too cold.
Notes
