Sensational wholewheat bread for the bread machine

A few months ago we picked up a Dak bread machine at the Salvation army for ten bucks. It looks like a little R2-D2, round, with a glass domed top. When I got online to look for recipes and operating instructions, I discovered that the R2-D2 has a bit of a cult following. After much experimentation and many failures, this is what I have come up with. It's delicious and moist, so much better than the crud you can get in the supermarket and so much cheaper than going to a fancy bakery. You'll notice that I don't bake in the machine - you get a much nicer loaf by putting it in the oven - but if you're pressed for time, just set it to automatic and walk away.

• 1 sachet (2 teaspoons) yeast
• 1 ½ cups wholemeal flour
• 1 cup white flour
• 1 tablespoon gluten
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup low fat milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup plain low fat yoghurt*
• ½ cup rolled rye flakes

Put the dry ingredients into the bread maker in the order they are listed.

Gently heat the milk and butter until the butter has melted.

Stir the yoghurt into the milk/butter mixture and add it to the dry ingredients.

Set the bread maker to manual and press start. After a minute, check that the dough is the right consistency. If it is sticking to the edges, add a little bit of flour. If it is breaking up into pieces, add a little water. The recipe is very sensitive to small changes in measurements.

During the second kneading cycle, add the rye flakes gradually.

After the second rising and punch-down, remove the dough from the machine and place it in a lightly floured loaf pan*. Leave to rise in a warm place for 20-30 minutes, then bake for 30-40 minutes at 180oC (350oF). The loaf is cooked when it sounds hollow.

Cool on a wire rack.

* If you have milk that's gone bad, use 1 ½ cups of that and leave out the yoghurt. It will curdle when heated.

** Optional: before placing in the loaf pan, gently roll one side of the dough in a mix of rolled oats, rye flakes, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and poppy seeds. Put the loaf in the tin with the seeded side up.