Honey Spelt Bread
Soft and delicious spelt bread flavoured and sweetened with vegan honey.
Servings 1 loaf
Equipment
- 1 kg/2 lb loaf tin
Ingredients
- 500 g (4 cups + 2 Tablespoons) wholemeal spelt flour plus extra for dusting
- 10 g (3 teaspoons) fast action yeast
- 10 g (1 ½ teaspoons) salt
- 60 g (3 Tablespoons) vegan honey, golden syrup or maple syrup
- 350 ml (1 ½ cups) lukewarm water
Instructions
- Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the yeast to one side and the salt and honey to the other, pour in three quarters of the water and begin to mix into a shaggy dough. Add more water, a little at a time until you have picked up all of the flour from the sides of the bowl and you have a soft, sticky dough. You may not need to use all of the water or you may need a little more.500 g (4 cups + 2 Tablespoons) wholemeal spelt flour plus extra for dusting, 10 g (3 teaspoons) fast action yeast, 10 g (1 ½ teaspoons) salt, 60 g (3 Tablespoons) vegan honey, golden syrup or maple syrup, 350 ml (1 ½ cups) lukewarm water
- Tip the dough out onto an un-floured surface (coat the work surface with a little olive oil if you find the dough sticks too much) and knead for about five minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. It should be very sticky at first but become less so as you knead. Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover, and leave to rise until at least doubled in size, 1-2 hours.
- Line a 1kg loaf tin with baking parchment. Tip the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface and fold inwards a couple of times until all the air is knocked out. Flatten the dough out slightly into a rectangle then roll it up from one of the short sides into an oblong. Place the dough in the prepared tin, making sure that the join is underneath.
- Put the tin inside a clean plastic bag, making sure that there is plenty of room between the tin and the bag for the dough to rise, and leave to prove for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until the dough is almost doubled in size and springs back slowly most of the way if you prod it lightly with a finger. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/180℃ fan/400°F/gas mark 6 and put a roasting tray in the bottom to heat up.
- Once the dough has proved, put the kettle on. Dust the top of the the dough with a little flour and use a lame or sharp knife to cut several diagonal slashes across the top. Fill the roasting tray with hot water to create steam (this helps to keep the crust soft) and put the dough in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes until cooked through, if you tip the loaf out of the tin and tap on the base it should sound hollow and the temperature in the centre should register at least 90°C/194°F on a probe thermometer. Cover with tin foil if it starts to colour too quickly.
- Remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool.