Although I love cake...Wholemeal Spelt Loaf

I do try and eat cleanly. I try and make things from scratch, avoid refined/processed food and so on. Don't worry though I'm not completely fanatic about it. If I'm at a friends or out and about I just eat what I'm given. I just try and eat cleanly at home.

As it is that time of year when everyone is trying to compensate for the excesses of Christmas I thought I might blog about some of the healthy food I cook over the next couple of weeks. I know I normally write about baking and sweet things so sorry to anyone who doesn't want to hear about more healthy food!

Still keeping with the baking theme I will start by writing about a recipe for spelt bread. I am suspicious of the stuff in the supermarket that has a list of tons of ingredients and doesn't go off for the beat part of a week, so I make virtually all of my own bread.

This is the easiest bread recipe (well that needs kneading and rising anyway for an even easier one check out this sourdough bread) that I know of. It only has 4 ingredients and one of them is water! It also doesn't mind what flour you use, so pick your favourite. Here I'm using a Dove Farm wholemeal spelt. For anyone who doesn't know spelt is an old wheat flour which has far less gluten in than modern equivalents and therefore is easier to digest. It also has less of an impact on blood sugar levels. Still too much gluten for someone who is coeliac but a good option for someone just avoiding gluten.

If you have a bread maker it's even easier. Simply chuck all of the ingredients in and set it to the dough setting. Once it's risen give it a quick knead and put it into a greased 2 litre loaf tin and leave to rise again in a warm place for about an hour. Bake it in an oven pre-heated to 230C reducing the temperature to 210C as soon as to put it in. It will take about 40 mins to bake.

If you don't have a bread maker place the flour into a mixing bowl, make a well and add the yeast and salt. Pour some of the water into the well gradually incorporating the flour and adding more water as necessary. Once it is all incorporated tip it out onto a floured surface and knead well until it is smooth and silky. Leave in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour. Once it's risen give it a quick knead and put it into a greased 2 litre loaf tin and leave to rise again in a warm place for about an hour. Bake it in an oven pre-heated to 230C reducing the temperature to 210C as soon as to put it in. It will take about 40 mins to bake.





Ingredients

500g flour (if you can use bread flour)
7g dried yeast
1tsp salt
350g water

I'm not sure where I originally got the recipe, possibly from my mum.