East Anglian Harvest Loaf

Name: East Anglian Harvest Loaf
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: East Anglian
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour; 200 g strong wholemeal flour; 7 g fast-action dried yeast; 10 g Fine sea salt; 30 g Unsalted butter; 1 tbsp clear honey; 420 ml tepid water; 1 medium Egg; 1 tbsp poppy seeds

A decorative harvest festival loaf shaped like a sheaf of wheat, featuring a crisp golden crust, tender crumb, and dough mice.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· East of England

Prep: 45 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 80 min
Servings: 10
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 275 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

500 g strong white bread flour — plus extra for dusting
200 g strong wholemeal flour — for rustic grain texture
7 g fast-action dried yeast — one standard sachet
10 g Fine sea salt — roughly one and a half teaspoons
30 g Unsalted butter — softened at room temperature
1 tbsp clear honey — adds subtle sweetness and crust colour
420 ml tepid water — lukewarm to the touch
1 medium Egg — beaten with a splash of milk for glaze
1 tbsp poppy seeds — for decorative contrast on the wheat heads

Equipment

•Large mixing bowl
•Baking tray
•Greaseproof paper
•Kitchen scissors
•Pastry brush

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 275 kcal
fat: 4 g
carbs: 51 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 9 g
calories: 275 kcal

Instructions

1
Stir the flours, dried yeast, and fine salt together in a large mixing bowl.
2
Rub the softened butter into the dry flour mixture using your fingertips until evenly combined.
3
Add the honey and tepid water, then mix together to form a soft, slightly sticky dough.
4
Knead the dough on a lightly floured worktop for ten minutes until smooth and elastic.
5
Place in a clean bowl, cover, and leave to rise for one hour until doubled in size.
6
Knock back the dough gently, then cut off one quarter and set it aside under a damp cloth.
7
Shape the main dough portion into a tapered sheaf silhouette on a lined baking tray.
8
Snip deeply across the upper half using sharp kitchen scissors to create distinct wheat ears.
9
Roll the reserved dough into thin ropes to plait a waistband tie and shape tiny harvest mice.
10
Fix the decorative dough plaits and mice onto the loaf using a dab of water.
11
Brush the entire loaf carefully with beaten egg and sprinkle poppy seeds over the wheat heads.
12
Bake at 200°C (180°C fan) for thirty-five minutes until deeply golden and sounding hollow when tapped underneath.

Chef's tips

Keep your dough slightly firmer than usual so the intricate wheat-ear cuts and little mice keep their distinct shapes during baking. Using sharp kitchen scissors dipped in flour makes cutting the wheat ears much cleaner.

Ingredient substitutions

unsalted butter → vegetable baking block or lard
clear honey → black treacle or golden syrup

Storage

Store in a breathable bread crock or paper bag at room temperature for up to three days.

Reheating

Warm thick slices in a moderate oven at 180°C (160°C fan) for five minutes or toast lightly under a hot grill.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Over-proving the shaped loaf, which causes the sculpted wheat ears and mice to blur together.
•Making scissor cuts too shallow, leading to flat dough instead of distinct standing grain ears.
•Skipping the egg wash, resulting in a dull pale loaf without the signature glossy harvest sheen.

Serving suggestions

Serve warm sliced thick with salted farmhouse butter and mature Suffolk cheddar.Pair with rich autumn vegetable broths or game stews.Display as an autumn table centrepiece before carving at family gatherings.