Pax Bread

Pax is the Latin word for peace. This bread contains rice, seeds and honey which are symbols of peace. In a house full of males watching endless hours of sport brought to us by the Olympics, screaming at the TV when a ball goes 'out' or the referee makes a 'bad' call, I need all the help I can get for a bit of peace.

Pax Bread

from Delicious

150ml milk
1 tablespoon honey
7g dried or instant yeast
25g rice, cooked (to give 60g cooked rice), cooled
450g baker's flour, plus extra to dust
80ml olive oil
2 tablespoons mixed seeds (such as sunflower, poppy, pumpkin, sesame and flax), plus extra to decorate
1 egg, lightly beaten

Mix milk with 150ml warm water (the mixture must be lukewarm). Add honey and yeast and stir to combine. Stand for 2-3 minutes until bubbles appear on the surface of the liquid.

Combine rice, flour, oil, seeds and 1 teaspoon salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, then add the liquid. Mix for 5 minutes, until you have a soft dough. It should be slightly sticky to touch but not gluey.

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours or until dough doubles in size.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Pat gently out to a 30cm square with floured hands. Turn each corner into the centre, pinch together and turn over so you have a rough ball shape. With cupped hands, move the dough in a clockwise direction, pushing in the sides and bottom to form a smooth, compact ball. Gently shape into an oval loaf. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, pinched-side down, and dust liberally with flour. Stand, uncovered, in a warm place for 30-40 minutes until risen and almost doubled in size.

Use a small pastry brush to mark the word 'PAX'on the surface of the loaf, brushing away the flour, then thickly paint in the letters with egg. Sprinkle well with extra seeds - they will stick to the egg - and brush away any excess.

Bake for 45 minutes or until firm and the base sounds hollow when tapped. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.