When I started with the whole healthy diet regimen, I told myself that I will need to say bye to frequent baking and I knew that I will miss the aroma of freshly baked goods filling up the entire home on a weekend morning. But thanks to the right motivation from my husband, I am back to baking. And I'm loving it more than ever before. This is because all the baking I am doing now is healthy and completely experimental. I've ventured into areas that I had never thought of before. Sometimes the results are bad but sometimes the end result is such a delight! And I'm discovering new ways of eating the foods I love in a much more healthy way.

When we decided to go low carb, I found it very hard to imagine I could do without bread. I am such a carbaholic but now I have a new found love for breads. And these are not the high GI, loaded with all purpose flour breads These are healthy breads, whole wheat flour, oats, nuts, seeds and fresh and dried fruits. I have experimented with a lot of fruit breads which are a staple just as a snack or even a great bread for making sweet French toasts. But I love a simple salted slice of bread with my poached eggs in the morning and even though the most unusual bread is a favourite, this loaf with whole wheat, oats and seeds is my everyday loaf now. I make a couple of loaves every time and keep it in the refrigerator. It will stay delicious for 1-2 weeks. I love the soft texture and the nuttiness of the seeds in this bread. It is great with eggs, toasted with butter or just as is with a hot cup of tea/coffee. There is enough flavour and texture contrasts in every slice to make it a delight in every bite.

Now there are some basics for making bread that I follow all the time and they seem to work very well for me, be it plain, seed or fruit. Firstly, make sure the yeast is good. I always prefer using active dry yeast because I have it around all the time. I make sure I proof it well before every use. In case the yeast does not activate, try again or change the batch you are using. A yeasted bread that does not rise is no good to anyone. Also, if you are using oats in your bread, it is always a good idea to soften them in water for 5-10 minutes before they are mixed with the flour to make the dough. This ensures the dough does not become dry while rising. Always make sure the first dough is a little on the soft side. This ensures a moist loaf all the time. When using dried fruits, I like to soften them with a little liquid. This helps to bring out the fruity taste much more. Seeds are best used as is but if you like to you can roast them a little before adding them to the dough. That makes them taste more nutty.

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oats

1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons small melon seeds

2 tablespoons watermelon seeds

2 tablespoons flax seeds

salt to taste

1 tsp granulated sugar

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup warm water plus more as needed

Method:

1. Soak the oats in enough warm water to soften them. Take about 1/2 cup of warm water, add the sugar and yeast and mix well. Within 5-7 minutes the yeast should activate and proof and rise to the top.

2. Mix the whole wheat flour, salt and seeds in a bowl. Add the oats and olive oil and mix well. Use the yeast water plus as much more water as is needed to make a soft dough.

3. Let the dough sit for 3-5 minutes to absorb the liquid. Knead the dough once with your hands.

4. Take a glass dish, brush a little olive oil inside and place the kneaded dough in it. Cover with a plastic wrap and set aside for about 2 hours till the dough doubles in size.

5. After 2 hours, punch the dough down and divide it into 2 parts. My loaf pans differ in size so I make 2 different sized dough balls. Dust the surface of flat kitchen surface with a little whole wheat flour and knead this dough with your hands for 2-3 minutes. Then shape into loaves, cover with plastic wrap and place in the loaf pans to rise.

6. When the loaves are almost risen, turn on the oven to 350F/180C to preheat. Once the oven is preheated, place the pans in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes depending on the functioning of the oven.

7. When the loaves are golden brown on top and sound hollow in the middle, the bread is done. Take out the loaves on a baking tray and leave them to cool.

8. Once cooled, slice and store.