Breads, Biscuits and Cakes Recipes - Honeycombed Rice Bread

Ingredients

• 75 g/3 oz/1/3 cup arborio or other risotto rice

• 500 ml/17 fl oz hand-hot water

• 15 g/1 tbsp fresh yeast

• 30 ml/2 tbsp warm water

• 550 g/6 cups strong plain (bread) flour

• 15 ml/1 tbsp salt

• A little extra flour

• Butter for greasing

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Method:

1. Put the rice in a saucepan with 250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup of the hand-hot water.

2. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer very gently for about 25 minutes until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and bubble holes appear on the surface.

3. Meanwhile, cream the yeast with the warm water. When the rice is cooked, stir in the flour, salt, creamed yeast and remaining hand hot water.

4. Mix to form a rather wet dough. Cover with oiled polythene and leave in a warm place to rise for 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.

5. Dust the top with flour, then knock back. Turn into a well-buttered large loaf tin (pan).

6. Cover with the oiled polythene and leave until the dough rises above the top of the tin.

7. Bake at 230°C/450°F/gas mark 8 for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 and cook for a further 15 minutes.

8. Turn out of the tin and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes to crisp and brown the crust. Cool on a wire rack.