Honey Spelt Bread

Baking bread is my weakness. It is one of the few things that truly brings me joy. There are so many different bread recipes out there to try, but so little time to try them all!

Each time I am to bake another loaf of bread, I pour over my countless baking cookbooks in search of another great recipe. To date, I have yet to be disappointed! There are honestly so many fabulous recipes out there worth trying!

For a while, I have been quite curious to try baking a bread using spelt flour. Granted, spelt flour costs more than your average bag of whole wheat flour, but there are a lot of added benefits to spelt flour that cannot be found in regular wheat flour. It contains more protein and is very high in B-complex vitamins, as well as several other added health benefits as a result of it's being a simple and complex carbohydrate. It's an ancient grain, which sounds cool, that is making a recent comeback in the States.

Enough boringness and onto the good stuff.

It wasn't difficult to work with as some flours are. The result was a nuttier flavored bread! The addition of honey helps to sweeten the loaf a bit without overpowering the flavor of the spelt flour. I was very pleasantly surprised with the results and suggest you try making it, too!


Honey Spelt Bread
Adapted: Food & Wine Magazine
Yields: 1 loaf


Ingredients
2 1/2 cups spelt flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsps sea salt
2 tsps active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups hot water (110 to 115 degrees)
1/2 cup honey

Directions:
1. "In a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, salt and yeast. Turn the machine to medium low, add the water and honey and mix until the flour is moistened, about 2 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Increase the speed to medium and knead until a stiff dough forms, about 2 minutes longer.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and shape into a ball. Set the dough in a well-floured bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 450° and spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with vegetable cooking spray. Invert the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently punch it down. Fold the dough into a loaf, tucking in the sides and pinching the seams. Transfer the dough to the loaf pan, seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
4. Remove the plastic wrap and lightly dust the dough with flour. Using a razor blade or sharp knife, make a shallow lengthwise gash down the center of the loaf. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the loaf is risen, golden on top and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reads 180°. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then tip it out onto a rack to cool completely before serving."