This is just a basic bread recipe but instead of wheat flour, it's made with white spelt flour.
Ingredients:
- 3 level cups white spelt flour and more for dusting
- 1 1/3 cups spring water
- 5 grams(alittle more than half a packet) active yeast Or equivalent of homemade starter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- Liquid coconut oil
*will also need if using bread dish*
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (I use fine ground Celtic)
- Butter for greasing dish
Utensils/bakeware:
- Glass liquid measuring cup (measurements up to 2 cups)
- Kitchen thermometer
- Large mixing bowl (or kitchen aid standing mixer w/ bread hook)
- bread dish or Dutch oven
- rubber spatula
- pastry board or silicone non stick mat
- Cooling rack
- kitchen timer
- Saran Wrap or Kitchen towel
- Razor blade
*will also need if using bread dish*
- Parchment paper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F. Heat the 1 1/3 cups water in the glass measuring cup to 120F-130F (using kitchen thermometer to monitor) and add sugar, stir until sugar is dissolved, then add yeast and stir until well mixed (I use the thermometer wand for this since it's already in the water). Set yeast mixture on stove top of preheating oven and let proof for 5 minutes.
While yeast is proofing, add your 3 cups of spelt flour to the large mixing bowl along with the 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Once 5 minutes has passed and the yeast has formed colonies, if not using a kitchenaid pour the yeast into your flour/salt mixture, folding in 1/4 cup of yeast at a time into Flour (w/spatula) to evenly incorporate the liquid.
If using a kitchen aid just add proofed yeast to flour and using the bread hook attachment, lock down arm of kitchenaid and turn on to the lowest setting. once the flour and liquid has formed a dough ball let the machine knead the dough for 8 minutes.
For those using the elbow grease method: Once all liquid is incorporated, and a ball of dough has formed, Flour your hands and sprinkle enough flour to lightly dust a 12"x12" area on your pastry board or silicone mat. Turn your dough out of the mixing bowl onto the floured surface and sprinkle the top with a light coat of flour. Set your kitchen timer for 8 minutes and begin to knead the dough. Kneading doesn't have to be perfect, I just keep folding the dough onto itself, sort of rolling the dough like a sleeping bag lol. Knead the dough, adding a bit of flour when dough becomes sticky, until the 8 mins is over.
Place dough ball back in cleaned and dried mixing bowl (or leave the dough ball in kitchenaid mixing bowl after removing breadhook) and pour 1/2 the tablespoon of oil over the dough ball, turning once to evenly coat. Place a piece of Saran Wrap or warm damp kitchen towel over the top of the mixing bowl. Place the bowl on the preheated oven and set timer for 1 1/2 hours and let the dough rise. If bowl seems to be getting too hot on top of oven to the point where you think it may actually cook the dough alittle, move the bowl to a spot near the oven or in an area on the stove top that stays an average of 75F to assure the yeast stays active.
This is the worst part about making bread...you wait, then wait, then wait some more.
After the 1 1/2 hours has gone by the dough should be doubled in size. Turn the dough onto a freshly floured surface and once again knead for 8 mins, adding flour to prevent the dough from getting sticky. Return the dough to the mixing bowl, add the other half tablespoon of oil and cover bowl with Saran Wrap or damp warm kitchen towel and place back on stove top of heated oven and now let rise for a minimum of 3 hours up to 6 hours.
Once the long rise is over turn the dough out onto a floured surface and once again knead for 8 minutes. If using a bread dish, grease the dish with butter and cut parchment paper to fit the dish so that no creases are present. I usually accomplish this by cutting two strips of parchment, one fitting the dish longways and one fitting the dish shortways so that only the grease corner of the dish are exposed. place dough in dish and let rise in dish for a final 1 1/2 hours uncovered. If using the Dutch oven, flour your kneading surface to ensure dough will not stick and let rise for 1 1/2 hours uncovered. A skin will form on the dough so don't be freaked, it's necessary to make a crust while baking.
Nearing the end of the final rise, If using a Dutch oven, place the oven with lid into your preheated oven on middle rack 30 mins before baking so that the Dutch oven also reaches the oven temp. Once Dutch oven is pre heated take it out on to stovetop (obviously using oven mitts) and remove lid. Scoot dough ball off floured surface into oven (should start to sizzle) take razor and slash three diagonal slashes decisively on the top of the dough (being careful not to burn yourself) these improve the rise of the dough in the oven. Cover with lid and place back in oven. If using bread dish also make three diagonal slashes and place in oven.
Bake for 30-35minutes until browned. Once baking has finished, remove baking vessel from oven and remove bread loaf (with mitts) and place on cooling rack for 10 minutes before slicing. To store, I usually just wrap in a dry kitchen towel (small weave) and leave in the counter.
Whew! If you made it this far reading, let alone actually tried the recipe, I commend you!! It's hard work but very gratifying when you slice into your own home made bread and know that you've earned it :)
I'll continue in another comment the reasons why I like bread and believe it's a healthful food in the right application.
Ingredients:
- 3 level cups white spelt flour and more for dusting
- 1 1/3 cups spring water
- 5 grams(alittle more than half a packet) active yeast Or equivalent of homemade starter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- Liquid coconut oil
*will also need if using bread dish*
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (I use fine ground Celtic)
- Butter for greasing dish
Utensils/bakeware:
- Glass liquid measuring cup (measurements up to 2 cups)
- Kitchen thermometer
- Large mixing bowl (or kitchen aid standing mixer w/ bread hook)
- bread dish or Dutch oven
- rubber spatula
- pastry board or silicone non stick mat
- Cooling rack
- kitchen timer
- Saran Wrap or Kitchen towel
- Razor blade
*will also need if using bread dish*
- Parchment paper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F. Heat the 1 1/3 cups water in the glass measuring cup to 120F-130F (using kitchen thermometer to monitor) and add sugar, stir until sugar is dissolved, then add yeast and stir until well mixed (I use the thermometer wand for this since it's already in the water). Set yeast mixture on stove top of preheating oven and let proof for 5 minutes.
While yeast is proofing, add your 3 cups of spelt flour to the large mixing bowl along with the 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Once 5 minutes has passed and the yeast has formed colonies, if not using a kitchenaid pour the yeast into your flour/salt mixture, folding in 1/4 cup of yeast at a time into Flour (w/spatula) to evenly incorporate the liquid.
If using a kitchen aid just add proofed yeast to flour and using the bread hook attachment, lock down arm of kitchenaid and turn on to the lowest setting. once the flour and liquid has formed a dough ball let the machine knead the dough for 8 minutes.
For those using the elbow grease method: Once all liquid is incorporated, and a ball of dough has formed, Flour your hands and sprinkle enough flour to lightly dust a 12"x12" area on your pastry board or silicone mat. Turn your dough out of the mixing bowl onto the floured surface and sprinkle the top with a light coat of flour. Set your kitchen timer for 8 minutes and begin to knead the dough. Kneading doesn't have to be perfect, I just keep folding the dough onto itself, sort of rolling the dough like a sleeping bag lol. Knead the dough, adding a bit of flour when dough becomes sticky, until the 8 mins is over.
Place dough ball back in cleaned and dried mixing bowl (or leave the dough ball in kitchenaid mixing bowl after removing breadhook) and pour 1/2 the tablespoon of oil over the dough ball, turning once to evenly coat. Place a piece of Saran Wrap or warm damp kitchen towel over the top of the mixing bowl. Place the bowl on the preheated oven and set timer for 1 1/2 hours and let the dough rise. If bowl seems to be getting too hot on top of oven to the point where you think it may actually cook the dough alittle, move the bowl to a spot near the oven or in an area on the stove top that stays an average of 75F to assure the yeast stays active.
This is the worst part about making bread...you wait, then wait, then wait some more.
After the 1 1/2 hours has gone by the dough should be doubled in size. Turn the dough onto a freshly floured surface and once again knead for 8 mins, adding flour to prevent the dough from getting sticky. Return the dough to the mixing bowl, add the other half tablespoon of oil and cover bowl with Saran Wrap or damp warm kitchen towel and place back on stove top of heated oven and now let rise for a minimum of 3 hours up to 6 hours.
Once the long rise is over turn the dough out onto a floured surface and once again knead for 8 minutes. If using a bread dish, grease the dish with butter and cut parchment paper to fit the dish so that no creases are present. I usually accomplish this by cutting two strips of parchment, one fitting the dish longways and one fitting the dish shortways so that only the grease corner of the dish are exposed. place dough in dish and let rise in dish for a final 1 1/2 hours uncovered. If using the Dutch oven, flour your kneading surface to ensure dough will not stick and let rise for 1 1/2 hours uncovered. A skin will form on the dough so don't be freaked, it's necessary to make a crust while baking.
Nearing the end of the final rise, If using a Dutch oven, place the oven with lid into your preheated oven on middle rack 30 mins before baking so that the Dutch oven also reaches the oven temp. Once Dutch oven is pre heated take it out on to stovetop (obviously using oven mitts) and remove lid. Scoot dough ball off floured surface into oven (should start to sizzle) take razor and slash three diagonal slashes decisively on the top of the dough (being careful not to burn yourself) these improve the rise of the dough in the oven. Cover with lid and place back in oven. If using bread dish also make three diagonal slashes and place in oven.
Bake for 30-35minutes until browned. Once baking has finished, remove baking vessel from oven and remove bread loaf (with mitts) and place on cooling rack for 10 minutes before slicing. To store, I usually just wrap in a dry kitchen towel (small weave) and leave in the counter.
Whew! If you made it this far reading, let alone actually tried the recipe, I commend you!! It's hard work but very gratifying when you slice into your own home made bread and know that you've earned it :)
I'll continue in another comment the reasons why I like bread and believe it's a healthful food in the right application.
I am sure others will appreciate your efforts. Like 
