Day 11: Mar. 8

A Day to BAKE

Ancient

Kamut, farro, spelt, emmer, amaranth, and rye —this isn’t a magical incantation. Or maybe it is. The words are names for ancient grains, whole grains that have been around for centuries. Throughout history ancient cultures regarded grains as a sacred food, like medicine for the soul, it symbolized the essence of their spirituality that meant more than just sustenance.

Several years ago, John and I were on vacation in Santa Fe and had a lovely Airbnb with a tiny kitchen (microwave, toaster, coffee pot). We decided to do a little grocery shopping for breakfast things. I stumbled upon a loaf of a bread that was new to me, but turned out to be an ancient grain. Spelt. It called to me because the little label boldly pronounced it made “the world’s best toast.” The next morning, I confirmed it was indeed the best toast I’d ever tasted. We bought two more loaves before driving back home. Over the years I’ve tried multiple loaves of store-bought Spelt, but nothing has ever come even remotely close to that loaf in Santa Fe. Maybe there WAS something magic in the air?

For Lent I’ve decided I’m going to try my hand at the thoroughly impractical concept of baking with ancient grains. So far, I’ve collected bags of Einkorn, Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat, and you guessed it – SPELT.

Visiting a decent bakery surely makes more sense. But if you seek something more than high yields for your time, bake bread at home in an act of defiance. Gather the ancient grains that required more work to grow and knead the dough by hand if you’re able and want to discover the truths of what bakers before you learned. Immerse yourself in the deep and ancient patterns of a practice that yields more than a simple loaf of bread. – Shelley Regan.

Spelt Pan Loaf

¼ cup warm water
2 ¼ teaspoons yeast
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 cup non-dairy milk
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 - 3 ½ cups whole sprouted spelt flour
1 teaspoon sea salt

Add the water and honey to a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast overtop and let it sit for ten minutes. After ten minutes, it should be foamy. If the mixture doesn’t foam, discard – you need new yeast.

Add the milk, olive oil, 2 cups (300g) of the flour, and the salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until a loose dough forms.

Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, kneading between each addition, until a smooth, springy dough forms. This should take 6-8 minutes. It should be quite smooth and not really sticky. If you’re using a stand mixer, use the dough attachment for this.

Place the dough into a large greased bowl and cover with a tea towel or large plate. Let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for one hour, or until doubled in size. This is called proofing.

When the dough has risen, punch it down gently and place it into a parchment-lined or well greased standard-size** loaf pan, tucking any untidy ends underneath. Cover with a tea towel and place the loaf into a warm place to rise again for half an hour longer. While it's rising, heat your oven to 180°C (350°F).

Bake the bread for about 45 minutes, or until golden, and it sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from the pan and cool for ten minutes on a rack before cutting.

Store the bread in a sealed container for up to three days, or freeze for up to a month.