Harvest Wheatsheaf

Makes 1 loaf

Create this wonderful centre-piece at harvest time. The dough has less yeast than normal bread dough which will delay the rising while you assemble it. Making this can be a fun activity for children and you can either eat it after the first cooking or preserve it with further cooking.

5 Reviews / Write a review

Free from Soya, Dairy, Nuts

Vegetarian

Ingredients

500g Doves Farm Organic Strong White Bread Flour
½ tsp Doves Farm Quick Yeast
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
300ml tepid water
1 egg
water for brushing

Line a large baking tray with parchment and pre-heat the oven.
Put the flour, yeast, sugar and salt into a large bowl and blend them together.
Stir in the water.
Using your hands, gather everything together into a doughy mass.
Knead the dough until it feels smooth and pliable.
Divide the dough into three pieces.
Take one third of the dough and roll it into a rectangle, the size of your baking tray.
Cut into a large mushroom shape, place it onto the prepared tray, and brush all over with water. Gather together dough off-cuts and roll them into a ball for use later.
Cut the second piece of dough into 30 pieces and roll each out thinly.
Lay these onto the 'stalk' of your mushroom shape to make the stalks of the wheatsheaf.
Cut the third piece of dough into three pieces, roll each into a long thin cylinder then cut each one into twenty small lengths. These will form the ears of wheat.
Working inwards from the outer edge, quickly press the end of each small length onto the round part of the mushroom shape.
Using scissors make several snips into the end of each small dough length to create the impression of grains in an ear of wheat.
Divide the off-cut dough into three pieces, roll each into a 25cm length and plait them together.
Brush the middle of the wheat stalks with water and lay the plait across them to create the impression of string around the sheaf. Use any remaining dough to make a dough mouse.
Beat the egg well and brush it all over the dough.
Bake immediately for 25 minutes.
To keep the sheaf as a decoration, lower the temperature to 130 degrees and bake for a further 5 hours.
To keep this as a decoration for a longer period of time, then brush the dough with varnish.

Equipment

Large baking tray

Temperature

200°C, Fan 180°C, 400°F, Gas 6

Cooking time

25 minutes

For context I am in my mid twenties and have not baked anything since I was in school aged 12. I found this recipe really simple to follow and I made a great sheaf loaf as a result! Absolutely chuffed with is and and really recommend.

By Hywel

01 Oct 2018

Worked well - very pleased with the results. Probably the best recipe I've used. https://quercuscommunity.com/2016/09/14/wheatsheaf-loaves/

By Mr Simon Wilson

20 Sep 2016

Please can you advise the temperature of the oven if you are cooking the sheaf for five hours

By Mrs Esme Black

25 Sep 2015

Thank you for this recipe it has made an Absolutely perfect sheaf ! Well I'm very happy with my efforts and this is the first one that I have made ! I shall be coming back to you for more recipes etc xx

By Mrs Maureen Greenwood

28 Sep 2014

Well I have just completed the sheaf and I will now pop I into the hot oven and I will return with the results !! Fingers crossed xx it is for the Harvest Festival at St Paul's Church tomorrow morn !! Gulp I hope, it will be fine,"!?

By Mrs Maureen Greenwood

27 Sep 2014