SPELT Bread
3 cups water, quite warm
1 tablespoon sweetener (honey, maple syrup, molasses, etc)
2 tablespoons dry, granulated yeast
4 cups fine SPELT flour, divided
3 cups SPELT flour, fine or coarse to taste
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
2-3 tsp SPELT flour for board or counter
Dissolve sweetener and yeast in warm water and stir in 1 cup fine flour. Set bowl in a sink of quite warm water until liquid bubbles, about 12 minutes.
Using electric beater, beat in the remaining 3 cups of fine flour on low speed. When flour is moist continue beating on medium speed for 3-5 minutes until the mixture climbs the beaters. Discard the beaters.
Stir salt into remaining 3 cups of flour and gradually stir in to the dough, using a large spoon. Turn dough out on a floured board and knead for 10 minutes.
Oil or butter a large bowl. Place dough in it and turn once to grease the top surface of the dough. Cover with a cloth and set in a draft-free, warm place to rise until dough is double in size.
When double, punch dough down and knead briefly right in the bowl for about 2 minutes. Cover and return to warm place until almost double in size again (somewhere between 45 and 75 minutes).
Now knead vigorously on a lightly floured surface, divide and shape into 2 loaves, or 1 loaf plus rolls or sandwich buns. Place in oiled or buttered, floured loaf pans. If you wish, oil top crust lightly.
Cover with a towel and put in warm place to rise to the top of the pans, about 45 to 60 minutes. Be careful to avoid over-inflation which may lead to collapse in the oven.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Handling gently, remove the towel and place loaves in the oven. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes more. To test, tap firmly. A hollow thump indicates the loaf is baked. Immediately remove loaves from pans and lay on their sides on wire racks to cool. Fresh bread slices better when completely cool.
NOTE: Steep Hill does NOT sell Spelt flour (or anything else) by mail order!
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