Ingredients:
1 cup milk, low-fat
1/3 cup warm water
1 7gram packet of dried yeast
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil, extra-virgin (can use rapeseed/canola oil)
1 3/4 cups wholewheat flour
1 3/4 cups plain flour
Method:
Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Before it boils, but when it's close, take off the heat. Pour into a medium/large bowl (big enough to take all the ingredients). Let it cool for about 10 minutes until it's lukewarm.
In a separate small bowl, pour the warm water. Sprinkle in the yeast and stir. Let it rest for a few minutes to allow the yeast to begin working.
When milk has cooled a bit, add the egg and whisk. Now add sugar, salt, oil and the yeast/water and whisk.
Stir in wholewheat flour. Use a wooden spoon (I'm sure a big metal one would do fine) and beat for 100 strokes. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
Add the plain flour -- in 3 or 4 parts -- and beat well with spoon after each addition. When the dough feels a bit firm and not too sticky to handle (you probably won't need all of the plain flour), dump it out of the bowl onto a floured work surface. Make sure you've flour on your hands, and knead the dough for about 7 minutes, sprinkling with flour as needed - if it's getting sticky.
Coat a large bowl with light cooking spray (or use a paper towel to coat with a very thin layer of vegetable oil) and add the dough to the bowl. Cover with cling film and set aside in a warm area for 1 1/2 hours.
The dough should have about doubled in size. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead for a minute. Use a sharp knife or a dough cutter to cut dough into 8 - 10 equal sized pieces. Loosely cover with cling film and let it rest for 5 minutes more.
Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and dust it lightly with flour (corn/maize meal if you have it, plain flour if you don't.) Use your hands to shape the dough pieces into tighter balls. Place them on the baking sheet, leaving some space between them. Cover very loosely with cling film (can spray the plastic with cooking spray to prevent sticking) and again, set aside in a warm spot for about 20 - 30 minutes, while they rise a bit again. Flatten them out a bit by pressing down gently with your hand (on cling film) and continue to let rise for 20 more minutes.
Pre-heat your oven to 190ºC (170ºC fan oven or 375ºF) during the last rising and then bake for about 25 minutes. They should be nicely golden and crusty on top and the bottoms should sound hollow if you tap them. Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before you slice.
Time consuming - yes. Good - oh, yes.