Organic Spelt Flour Bread Recipes

SIMPLE SPELT BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Add the water and honey to a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast overtop and let it sit for ten minutes. After ten minutes, it should be foamy. If the mixture doesn't foam, discard - you need new yeast.
• Add the milk, olive oil, 2 cups (300g) of the flour, and the salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until a loose dough forms.
• Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, kneading between each addition, until a smooth, springy dough forms. This should take 6-8 minutes. It should be quite smooth and not really sticky. If you're using a stand mixer, use the dough attachment for this.
• Place the dough into a large greased bowl and cover with a tea towel or large plate. Let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for one hour, or until doubled in size. This is called proofing.
• When the dough has risen, punch it down gently and place it into a parchment-lined or well greased standard-size** loaf pan, tucking any untidy ends underneath. Cover with a tea towel and place the loaf into a warm place to rise again for half an hour longer. While it's rising, heat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
• Bake the bread for about 45 minutes, or until golden, and it sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from the pan and cool for ten minutes on a rack before cutting.
• Store the bread in a sealed container for up to three days, or freeze for up to a month.

A BEGINNING LOAF

Steps:

• Combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt in large mixing bowl. Whisk. Heat the milk or soy milk until warm (110-115 degrees F); stir it in along with 1 Tbsp of the oil. Continue stirring until dough forms (about 30 seconds). Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and springy (about 3 minutes). Place dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl; turn so all surfaces are lightly covered with oil. Place in a warm (80-85 degrees F), draft-free place and let rise until about doubled in volume (25-30 minutes). Check by pressing a fingertip lightly into top of dough about 1/2" deep. If the indentation remains, dough is ready. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Turn dough out of mixing bowl. Form into a round and place on baking pan; or form into loaf and place in lightly greased loaf pan. Gently brush the top (and sides if making a round) of the loaves with the remaining oil. Bake on center rack of moderate preheated oven (350 degrees F) for 25 minutes or until bread turns golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped with your finger. Serve hot or room temperature. For variations, try serving with a fruit juice glaze or berry topping or incorporate a teaspoon of spice such as cardamom into the dough.

SPELT SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients in the bowl and stir until it is well combined. The dough will have a rough, chunky look.
• Dump the dough onto a work surface and knead the dough with your hands until it is smooth. Approximately 10 to 12 minutes. (Essentially, you are massaging the dough by stretching and pushing. This will help develop the gluten.) At this stage, it will be wet and sticky. Try not to add more flour or your finished bread will be dense and heavy. The dough will stick to your hands and feel messy but if you get your hands wet it won't stick as easily.
• Place the dough into an oiled bowl and turn it so oil coats the top of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 3 to 6 hours (see notes) or in the refrigerator overnight. (A longer proof time in the fridge will give the bread a more complex, sourdough flavor.)
• Turn the dough out onto a work surface and form it into a round ball. (See notes)
• Place the ball of dough into a proofing basket or any container that is the shape that you want your bread to be shaped. (See notes)
• Let the dough rise again a second time for 3 to 6 hours** at room temperature until almost doubled in size. (Or you could let it rise in the fridge overnight for 12 to 15 hours)
• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the Dutch oven inside so it gets hot. It should take 20 to 30 minutes to preheat the Dutch oven.
• Place a piece of parchment on a board then lay it on top of the proofing basket. Flip the board and basket so the basket is on top then remove the basket.
• When the oven is hot, use the parchment paper to place the bread into the Dutch oven. Make a slash in the loaf with a sharp knife. For an extra burst of steam and a slightly higher rise, spray the dough with a bit of water.
• Bake for 20 minutes then remove the lid and finish baking for another to 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let the bread cool completely before slicing it.

SIMPLE SPELT BANANA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 F. Oil the loaf pan with 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine.
• Place the banana chunks into a large bowl and mash them with a fork. If you are using frozen bananas, make sure they have thawed completely.
• To the bowl with the mashed bananas, add the eggs, milk, maple syrup, 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. See the notes.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until everything is moistened but make sure not to overmix.
• Pour the batter into the loaf pan and place the pan in the oven. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean.
• Remove the loaf pan out of the oven and place it on a cooling rack. When the banana bread is cool enough to handle, take it out of the loaf pan.
• The banana bread tastes best when it's slightly warm.

ORGANIC SPELT FLOUR BREAD

Steps:

• The directions with my bread machine indicate that the ingredients are to be added in this order:.
• Water.
• Flour.
• Yeast (in a small "well" made in the center of the flour).
• Honey, Oil, Salt added to the sides of the machine.
• The settings on my machine are:.
• 15 min -- Preheat.
• 25 min -- Knead.
• 55 mim -- Rise.
• 55 min -- Bake.