Spelt Oat Bread

Sift the dry ingredients together several times to make sure the baking soda is evenly distributed. Put the sifted dry ingredients in a large bowl, and make a well in the center. Pour in about 3/4 of the sour soymilk and start stirring. You are trying to achieve a dough that is very soft, but with dryish lumps. Add more liquid sparingly if you think you need it. Blend quickly but gently, until dough is soft but springy. Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured work surface, and knead gently for about 30 seconds. You don't want to develop the gluten in the flour at all, or the bread will be tough. After a few experiments, you will know how the dough should feel. Form the dough into a slightly rounded circle about 6 - 8" in diameter. Put it on a lightly-floured baking sheet. Using a very sharp knife, cut a cross right across the circle. The cuts should go about halfway down through the sides of the circle of dough, so that the loaf will "flower" properly. Bake for 10 minutes at 450 F, then turn heat down to 400 F and bake 30 - 35 minutes longer. At the end of 45 minutes, pick up the loaf and tap the bottom. A hollow sound means it is done. For a very crunchy crust, put on a rack to cool. For a softer crust, wrap the bread in a clean dishcloth as soon as it comes out of the oven.


	\| home \| back to Recipes \| Spelt Oat Bread 3 c spelt flour 2 c all-purpose flour 1/2 c oatmeal, ground to flour in blender or mill 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 2 - 3 c soymilk + 1 Tbs vinegar or lemon juice (mix and let stand 10 minutes) Sift the dry ingredients together several times to make sure the baking soda is evenly distributed. Put the sifted dry ingredients in a large bowl, and make a well in the center. Pour in about 3/4 of the sour soymilk and start stirring. You are trying to achieve a dough that is very soft, but with dryish lumps. Add more liquid sparingly if you think you need it. Blend quickly but gently, until dough is soft but springy. Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured work surface, and knead gently for about 30 seconds. You don't want to develop the gluten in the flour at all, or the bread will be tough. After a few experiments, you will know how the dough should feel. Form the dough into a slightly rounded circle about 6 - 8" in diameter. Put it on a lightly-floured baking sheet. Using a very sharp knife, cut a cross right across the circle. The cuts should go about halfway down through the sides of the circle of dough, so that the loaf will "flower" properly. Bake for 10 minutes at 450 F, then turn heat down to 400 F and bake 30 - 35 minutes longer. At the end of 45 minutes, pick up the loaf and tap the bottom. A hollow sound means it is done. For a very crunchy crust, put on a rack to cool. For a softer crust, wrap the bread in a clean dishcloth as soon as it comes out of the oven.