Freshly-baked, Homemade Vegan Wheat Bread

Method:

- In a small bowl, add warm water (~40° C), add jaggery or whichever sweetener you are using to melt and then add yeast. Keep this aside for 10 minutes or until a smooth foam floats on top.
- Meanwhile, in another small bowl measure salt and oil and keep it aside.
- Measure whole wheat flour and white flour in a big bowl and mix well.
- Once the yeast foams add all the liquid to the flours and mix well. Add more water as required to make a firm down.
- Pop the dough on a clean work surface and start kneading using the stretch and fold method. Add 1tbsp water at a time and keep kneading until you have a soft and smooth dough. You begin with FIRM dough and end with soft, smooth dough. The dough shoudn't be sticky.
- Now knead in the oil and salt using the same stretch and fold method. After the salt and oil is well incorporated if you feel the dough can take in more water add more water little at a time. You want to hydrate the dough as much as you can without it becoming too sticky.

-  When you touch the dough with your finger it should spring back, that's when you know your dough is done. If it doesn't spring back continue to knead more. You will need anywhere between 10-20mins of kneading.
-  Cover the dough with some oil and keep it aside for 10mins.
-  Roll out the dough into a half inch thick rectangle and the roll it down to a tight Swiss roll.
-  Roll the Swiss roll in seeds of choice.
-  Transfer the loaf to a 6" x 3" bread pan. Do not forget to grease the pan with oil and line it with parchment paper on all sides. You can skip the parchment paper if using glass pan. The loaf can be baked in a stainless steel/aluminium/oven safe glass pan.
-  Cover with a wet cloth and let it rise to almost double it's volume. This will take approximately 45mins
-  Mix plant based milk and liquid sweetener to make the bread wash. Using a brush or back of spoon very carefully apply the wash on top of the bread. Use light strokes else you will puncture the dough.
-  If using oven to bake, preheat the oven at 180-200c for 15mins and then bake the bread at same temperature till it's brown on top. Approximately 45-60mins
-  If using pressure cooker to bake, first remove the rubber ring & whistle. Add half inch thick layer of salt in the cooker, close the lid and pre heat it on medium to low flame for 15mins. Add some kind of height inside to ensure the bread pan is atleast half inch above the salt layer. Carefully place the pan inside, shut the lid and bake for 30-45mins or until the top is brown.
-  Once the bread is done cover it in wet cloth and let it cool down a little. Remove the bread from the pan and wrap it in wet cloth and let it down completely.
- Use a serrated knife to cut the bread. Do not cut the bread until it has cooled completely.

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