Spelt Bread

Posted by Jim Nicholson on May 24, 2017 · 3 mins read

Spelt bread. https://goo.gl/i320NH

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Ingredients:

  • 2 cups warm water
  • 1 package instant yeast
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3-4 tablespoons honey
  • 4 cups Spelt flour
  • 1/2 cup powdered non-fat milk
  • 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
  • 1/4 cup mixed seeds (flax, chia, poppy, sesame, sunflower and pumpkin)

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup water, yeast, salt, olive oil and honey. Stir until all ingredients are dissolved.

Add flour slowly, stirring and folding by hand. Add remaining water as needed to keep the dough slightly wet. Add powdered milk and gluten, stir for several minutes, then add seeds. Continue stirring and folding until the seeds are distributed through the mixture. Shape into a ball, and cover with a damp towel (use warm water) and place in a warm location to rise.

When dough has roughly doubled in size, turn it out onto a floured surface (use Spelt flour for this.) Kneed the dough gently for several minutes, folding and turning, and shape into a loaf. Place the loaf into a greased bread pan and press down gently to fill the corners. Cover the loaf with a damp towel, and allow it to rise again until the dough nearly doubles in size.

Pre-heat oven to 420F. Place an empty pie pan or baking dish (not glass) on the bottom rack; insure that the top rack is positioned with enough space for the loaf. When the oven reaches the cooking temperature, allow it to heat for 5-10 minutes.

Very quickly, open the oven and pour 1 cup of tap water into the pie pan. Quickly place the loaf into the oven and shut the door; the purpose is to capture as much steam and water vapor inside the oven as possible.

Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the bread pan from the oven and allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes, then turn the loaf out into a clean towel and wrap; set the wrapped loaf on a rack for several hours (or overnight) to cool before slicing and/or bagging.