Easy Rye and Spelt Bread

Helppo ruis-spelttileipä

I have recently become slightly obsessed with making my own bread.  There is nothing better than the smell of freshly baked bread straight from the oven.  This loaf, while a little time consuming, is very easy to make and is fairly fool proof.   I have had some bread making practice at work, however I haven’t really experimented with different bread flours.  Rye and spelt give the bread a beautiful flavour.  It is not as dark and some traditional Finnish rye breads and the high baking temperature gives the bread a wonderful crust.  Not only that but rye breads are far healthier and nutritious than regular white bread.  Rye can help regulate your blood glucose levels and has been shown to aid digestion and your metabolism.  Don’t be put off with the relatively long proving time, it really is worth the effort.  The bread mixing itself is very quick and then all you need to do is put your feet up, while the yeast does all the work.

Keep following the blog for a great way of using up left over rye bread and if your prefer a loaf with little to no proving, check out my Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Pesto with Homemade Soda Bread or my Vegan Cranberry and Dark Chocolate Irish Soda Bread.

I have ‘veganised’ this recipe from the amazing 26 Grains cookbook.  If you are ever in London, I would highly recommend a visit for some of the best porridge I have ever had!

Easy Rye and Spelt Bread – makes 1 large loaf

11 g sachet of dried yeast

2 tbsp dark syrup or treacle

2 tsp salt

500 g rye flour

400 g spelt flour

Mix the yeast with 50ml of luke warm water and leave to activate for around 15 minutes.  The yeast should begin too bubble and become frothy.

Meanwhile mix the flours and salt in a large bowl.

Dissolve the syrup in 550 ml of warm water and mix in the activated yeast.

Create a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the water mixture.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients to form a sticky dough.

Kneed the dough on a floured surface for 5 minutes, until it becomes elastic.  Place in a oiled bowl, cover with cling film and put in a warm place to prove for an hour.

Grease and flour a  2 lb (1.8 litre) loaf tin.  Remove the dough and kneed again for a couple of minutes.  Place in the loaf tin, cover and return to the warm place to prove for another hour.

Preheat your oven to 220 degrees c.  Remove the cling film and bake the bread for 35 – 40 mins, until golden brown.  Carefully remove from the tin and bake directly on the oven shelf for a further 5 minutes.

Allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing.