Fibre February: Three recipes that turn roughage into ravishing

We should all be eating more fibre – whether you’re kneading, crumbling or baking, these recipes will fibre-load your plates and your palates, says Hannah Twiggs

Experts say we should eat 30g of fibre per day (UK Flour Millers)

Experts say we should eat 30g of fibre per day, showing that on average men need to increase their fibre intake by 50 per cent and women by 75 per cent.

With that in mind, turn roughage into ravishing with these fibre-packed feasts for Fibre February from UK Flour Millers, the minds behind the campaign.

First on the menu is no-knead air fryer bread. This bread is so easy to make, it practically kneads itself. With a whopping 61.3g of fibre in the entire loaf, it’s proof that you can have your bread and fibre, too.

Next, serve up a fruity sensation with apple and blackberry crumble bars. These bars are so good, they’ll have you forgetting they’re packed with 48.5g of fibre in the entire batch. Who knew getting your daily fibre fix could taste this sweet?

And for those who like to go bananas for fibre, we’ve got vegan banana bread. With 37.4g of fibre in the whole loaf, it’s bananas how good this bread is for you. Plus, it’s vegan-friendly, so everyone can join in on the fibre fun.

So whether you’re kneading, crumbling or baking, get ready to fibre-load your plates and your palates with these delicious recipes.

No-knead air fryer bread

Delicious with a high fibre sandwich filling like hummus and veg or cheese and apple (UK Flour Millers)

Makes: one 8” loaf of bread

Serves: 4-6

Fibre: 61.3g in the whole loaf of bread

Ingredients:

480g wholemeal bread flour

120g high-fibre seed mix

1 packet (7g) fast-action yeast

1 tsp salt

480ml warm water

Equipment:

Large mixing bowl

Damp cloth

8” deep cake tin lined with parchment

Aluminium foil

Air fryer

Method:

Combine the yeast, wholemeal flour, 100g mixed seeds and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the warm water and bring everything together to form a sticky dough. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for at least one hour.

Once the dough has doubled in size, tip it out onto a lightly floured surface, deflate the dough by punching out the air, sprinkle more flour on top and shape it into a ball before placing it into the lined cake tin.

Score the top, sprinkle with the remaining seed mix, recover with the damp cloth and leave to rise for 10-15 minutes. Preheat your air fryer to 200C in the meantime.

Cover the dough lightly with aluminium foil and place the whole thing in the air fryer and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil from the top and continue to bake the bread for a further 15-20 minutes until golden on top.

Carefully remove the bread from the air fryer and the tin and allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Apple and blackberry crumble bars

These apple and blackberry crumble bars are perfect for breakfast on the go (UK Flour Millers)

Makes: 8 bars

Fibre: 48.5g in the entire batch

Prep time: 15 mins | Cooking time: 35-40 mins

Tip: Can also be made with frozen raspberries, or other fruit of your choice.

Ingredients:

1 Bramley cooking apple, peeled, cored and cut into small cubes (approx 100g)

150g frozen blackberries

100g oats

200g light brown sugar, plus 1 tbsp for filling

250g wholemeal flour, plus 1 tbsp for filling

1 egg

125g unsalted butter, melted

½ tsp mixed spice (optional)

Equipment:

20cm square tin, lined with parchment paper

Large mixing bowl

Small mixing bowl

Spoon

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C (fan).

In the small mixing bowl, combine the cubed apple and frozen blackberries with 1 tbsp light brown sugar and 1 tbsp flour. Set to one side.

In the large mixing bowl, combine the oats, light brown sugar, flour and mixed spice (if using) with a spoon. Mix in the egg and melted butter with the spoon, then get your hands in the bowl and bring the mixture together until it forms clusters.

Pour ⅔ of the crumbly mixture into the prepared square tin and lightly press down with your fingers to create an even layer. Spread the apple and blackberry mixture on top, then sprinkle the remaining ⅓ crumble mix over the top, don’t worry if there are gaps, you want to see the fruit coming through.

Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden on top and the apple is cooked through. Leave to cool before portioning into 8 bars and serving.

Vegan banana bread

Use up your ripe bananas in this vegan treat (UK Flour Millers)

Makes: 1kg loaf

Fibre: 37.4g in the whole loaf

Tip: You can add extra nuts and fruits for added fibre, texture, and taste.

Ingredients:

4 ripe bananas

75g vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

225g wholemeal self-raising flour

2 tsp baking powder

100g light brown soft sugar

Equipment:

Mixing bowl

Fork

Wooden spoon

Loaf tin lined with baking paper

Knife

Measuring jug

Tip: Some retailers known for selling everything for £1 sell both baking cases for loaf tins and large round cake tins.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160C.

Mash 3 of the bananas into the measuring jug with the vegetable oil and vanilla.

In the mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the wet mix to the dry mix and combine.

Pour into the lined loaf tin and top with the 4th banana, halved lengthways.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden on top and springy to touch in the centre.

These recipes were created for the #FibreFebruary initiative, launched by UK Flour Millers, to help Brits eat the recommended amount of daily fibre while highlihgting flour’s connection to fibre. You can find more information about Fibre February on the FAB Flour website: fabflour.co.uk