How to Make the Best Spelt Bread Recipe

Do you love the smell of fresh bread as it emerges from the oven on a chilly winter afternoon or even on a hot summer day? Does just thinking about that loaf of bread make your mouth water? (Mine does.)

I want to share my newest most favorite bread recipe with my fellow bread lovers. And honestly, who isn't a bread lover? (Even if diets say we shouldn't enjoy bread and carbs.) Well, this is even a wonderfully healthy version (high in fiber and nutrients) of whole wheat (spelt) bread. If you know anything about spelt, you know it is easier for your body to digest - it is more water soluble, and jam-packed full of goodness. How could you not enjoy something so good for you?

I'll give it to you straight and then interpret it in a minute, so don't forget to read to the end or you might not make the bread correctly.

List of ingredients:

• 12 cups whole wheat flour (spelt)

• 6 cups hot tap water (not hot enough to burn)

• 2/3 cup oil

• 2/3 cup honey

• 2 Tablespoons SAF instant yeast

• 2 Talbespoons salt

• (optional) 1-2 cups Flax, Bulgar Wheat

A Bosch Universal (or Universal Plus) mixer holds this amount best, using their patented dough hook (by the way, this thing is amazing!). Mix the water, oil, honey, salt, and ONLY 6 cups of flour together on number 1 low speed.

Mix until smooth. The mixture will be runny.

ADD the yeast - I like to sprinkle it in as it mixes.

Now, start adding the remaining flour. I add about 3 cups of flour (one cup at a time while the mixer is running) then increase the speed to 2.

Continue adding the flour one cup at a time until the dough starts to clean the edge of the bowl.Increase speed to 3 as the dough gets more consistent. Add smaller amounts of flour until the bowl is thoroughly cleaned by the mixing dough.

Set the timer for FIVE minutes. This is as long as you need to knead spelt bread. Spelt has a fragile gluten, so you do not want to overwork it.

Keep kneading the bread. You might still need to add a little bit more flour.

HERE IS THE TEST: Turn the mixer off. Tap the bread like you want to test it to see how hot it is. (It is not hot at all.) You are testing for stickiness. If your fingers come off clean, and the dough texture has a sort of smooth shine to it, you have created an excellent dough. Finish mixing for the remaining time.

If your fingers come off with dough stuck to them, you will need to add small amounts (1/4 cup at a time) of flour until you can pass the sticky test.

When your timer rings, your bread dough is done kneading.

Spray your countertop with vegetable or canola or your favorite non-stick cooking spray. You can also spray your hands while you are at it.

Dump the dough from the Bosch bowl onto the counter.

Separate the dough into 5-6 equal parts.

Shape each part into a loaf.

Generously spray your bread pans and place each part of dough into its bread pan.

Line up your bread pans and cover them with a clean, lightweight towel.

Let the bread dough rise until double in size. (About 45 minutes.)

Uncover and bake your bread at 350^o for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top (and bottom).

Remove immediately from the pans and cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

I must admit. I don't always follow the recipe exactly as prescribed above. I feel the need for confessions.

Confession #1:

I have roughly two hundred pounds of hard red wheat in my downstairs emergency food storage. Since it needs to be rotated, I usually grind my own and mix my flours. I use about 4 cups hard red wheat, 4 cups spelt flour and 4 cups white bread flour. Or sometime I mix and match two of the three options. Please note, the bread is yummy any way I've done it. (p.s. Sometimes I try one whole wheat in the bread- just to make sure I like it. I usually like it very much.)

Confession #2:

My family likes my bread any way I make it. In fact, if my young niece is here on bread baking day, she begs to eat slice after slice of fresh bread. (She would eat the entire loaf if I would let her.)

Confession #3:

My girl friend uses this recipe but she uses hard white wheat that she grinds into flour. She also adds 2 Tablespoons of dough enhancer. Result: You can use practically any kind of wheat with this recipe and it will turn out amazing. (Spelt does have a tendency to be a little heavier when used alone.)

Confession #4:

I have used this spelt bread dough recipe to make pizza dough, cinnamon rolls, and dinner rolls. I'm sure it could be used for other things as well... not too sweet, and healthy for you!

Confession #5:

I love homemade bread now. This hasn't been a life long love affair. It has only just begun. I hope you can share the passion.