Recipe: Naturally Leavened Spelt Bread

This bread is a staple food in our home. We might spread it with butter and place a gently cooked egg on it in the morning or sprinkle some sea salt on top as a snack during the day or lay a slice of turkey meat or salame over the top as the filling part of a quick lunch.

It's delicious so many different ways.

Here's the recipe:

Naturally Leavened Spelt Bread

note: I always make the dough before going to bed so it can sit in its wet state over night and then be ready for me to make bread the following day.

3 cups water

3 tsps salt

4 Tbsps honey

1/2 cup starter

10 cups spelt flour

1.Mix together the water, honey, salt and starter in mixing bowl.

2. Add in flour a couple cups at a time until mix together and until the dough just comes away from the side of the mixing bowl.

3. Take mixing hooks out. Cover the mixing bowl and allow to sit for 12-24 hours.

Next day:

You will need:

Plastic container to place dough in, which helps keep its shape, as it rises.

Tea towel or kitchen towel without heavy texture.

Bit of flour

9x13 Baking dish

1 tsp coconut oil (or other oil)

Probe Thermometer to test temp. of bread.

1. Lay a tea towel across a container that your dough will fit in. (This is done to keep the dough's shape while it rises.)

2. Sprinkle a generous amount of flour over the towel.

3. Take your dough out of its bowl and knead on a floured counter for a couple of minutes, creating the shape you'd like your bread to be.

4. Place dough, top side down, in bowl.

5. Lay sides of towel over the dough and allow to rise for 45 minutes in warm room.

6. After the 45 minutes are up, heat oven to 430°.

7. Allow dough to continue rising for next 15 minutes while oven warms up.

8. Grease bottom of glass baking dish with coconut oil.

9. Place dough, right side up, into baking dish. Re-shape a bit with hands if necessary.

10. Make about 5-6 slits, 1/2 inch deep into top of dough.

11. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until internal temp. has reached 195-200°.

12. Allow to cool for at least one hour on a cooling rack.