This is a sweet breakfast quick bread, not a savory yeast bread. It makes a large loaf which is fantastic for big families. Because it is a quick bread, and being freshly milled whole grain, I split the grain with soft wheat to give it a more light crumb. You may be able to substitute any ancient grain in this recipe. I just haven't tried it yet and I really like the nutrient benefits of spelt that I try to find more ways to include it in on our plates. Spelt is a unique grain in that it contains large amounts of B17, which has been studied for its anti-carcinoma properties. It has a special carbohydrate that plays a role in blood clotting and is supportive of the immune system.
It is an ancient grain that grew as a result of spontaneous crossing of wild grasses and Emmer somewhere between 6000BC-5000BC. It has a sweet buttery, nutty flavor that is very complimentary to other grains in bread. If you are wanting to also add spelt to yeast breads, you need to know that I doesn't make a great loaf of bread by itself. It usually needs help from a hard red wheat to give it the lift and airiness of a nice loaf and not be too dense.
Because this loaf is without yeast, soft wheat is the perfect blend here.
If you are wondering where to get spelt, I like to buy it from Barton Springs Mill. You can use the code: "Michal10" for a discount on your first order!
Spelt Olive Oil Poppyseed Bread
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of unmilled spelt grain
1 1/2 cups of unmilled soft wheat grain
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup poppyseeds
1 cup sucanat
2 cups of milk
5 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mill the grain on the finest setting, It will give you about 5 cups of flour. Add the flour, and all the dry ingredients to a large bowl. Mix together. Add the milk, eggs, olive oil, vanilla bean paste, and pure maple syrup. Mix together until incorporated. Don't over mix, so I suggest always mixing by hand with a wooden spoon when you are working with soft wheat. Grease a 1.5 or 2 pound loaf pan. Pour the batter in. This is the one I use, and you don't have to grease it. Bake for 43-46 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick and it slides out clean. A nice split will happen in the top, and that is a job well done!
I let it cool for a few minutes and then pop right out of the pan and start slicing! I wouldn't slice in the pan that I have as it will scratch it and that's just not something you want to do with these specific pans!
Hope you enjoy!
- Michal