Easy on the Belly Spelt Bread

I really do like bread. But I hate buying it. It takes me forever to decide on a loaf; I don't want any refined flours, whole wheat tends to hurt my stomach and the gluten free brands have such a long list of unrecognizable ingredients that I usually end up convincing myself I don't really care that much about a stupid loaf of bread anyway. 

But that's a BIG FAT LIE. Fresh bread slathered in... anything is amazing and everybody knows it. 

So today, determined not to deny myself another minute, I decided to bake a loaf using 100% spelt flour. I read about spelt being much easier to digest than wheat. And although it does contain gluten, many people with wheat sensitivities can actually tolerate spelt.  It has a lot more fiber and protein than other wheat varieties and it just so happens to be deliciously nutty and sweet without the bitterness that whole wheat can have. 

This recipe is so easy, I don't know why I don't make bread every week! The dough only has to rise once and then you simply pop it in the oven for about 45 minutes. The secret is to mix the sugar and warm water together and then add the yeast. 

Wait about 5 minutes or so until you can hear some activity in the slurry. When things start to get a little fizzy it means the yeast is active. At that point you can combine it with your flour, salt and ground flax. If you're not into using sugar, I bet this would also work with honey.   

You'll need:

3 Cups spelt flour

1/4 Cup raw sugar

1/2 Tbs salt

1 packet dry yeast 

1 3/4 Cup warm water

1/4 Cup sunflower seeds

handful of ground flax (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve sugar in warm water and add the yeast. 

In a separate bowl mix flour, salt, flax and sunflower seeds. Once the yeast mixture starts to form little bubbles combine it with your flour mixture. 

The dough will be slightly wet and stick to your hands. Form a ball and put it in a bowl that is greased with a little olive oil. 

Set it on top of your stove and allow it to rise for about 20 minutes (It should get twice as big). Form the dough into a loaf in a greased bread pan or cookie sheet and top it with some more sunflower seeds if you want to. Bake for about 45 minutes.