Let's get to it and bake!
Spelt & Quinoa Loaf Yum
Yield: 1 loaf
Difficulty: Easy - Moderate
Freezable: Yes
Time: hands on time about 20 minutes; bake time 35 - 40 minutes; plus proving and cooling time.
Adapted from: Dove's Farm White Spelt Loaf
You will need:
large Mixing Bowl
Small Pan
Pyrex Jug (or similar)
Sieve
Kitchen Roll
1kg / 2lb Loaf Tin
For the Bread
250g White Spelt Flour
250g Wholemeal Spelt Flour, plus a little extra for preparing the loaf tin and shaping
6g Salt
7g Easy Bake Dried Yeast
1tsp Sugar
300ml Lukewarm Water
1tbsp Vegetable Oil
40g Raw Quinoa (or 100g ready cooked quinoa)
Little butter / margarine / vegan spread / vegetable oil
How to make it:
1. Make the dough. Place the flour, sugar, salt and yeast into a good sized bowl (keeping your salt & yeast separate). With your hand, combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Make a well in the centre. Add two-thirds of the lukewarm water. Use your hand to combine the dry ingredients with the wet, gradually adding the remainder of the water. Add the vegetable oil. Bring the dough together, using it to 'clean' the bowl.
2. Knead the dough. Place the dough onto a clean work surface and knead it for about 4 minutes until it is smooth and pliable.
3. Prove the dough. Place the dough into a large clean bowl and cover. Like all breads, it will develop more flavour by proving it slowly. Leave for at least an hour until it has doubled in size.
4. Prepare the quinoa. If using raw quinoa (rather than ready cooked), rinse the seeds under cold water for a couple of minutes. Cook as directed by the packet instructions, but for half the time. Once par-cooked strain the quinoa through a sieve and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Use the sieve to shake off as much excess water as you can from the quinoa. Tip the quinoa onto a few sheets of kitchen roll and dab them to remove even more moisture. Repeat with some more kitchen roll sheets. Set aside.
5. Prepare the loaf tin. Thoroughly grease the tin with a spread / oil suitable for your diet. Add 1 heaped teaspoon of wholemeal spelt flour to the tin. Move the tin around to ensure all of the greased surfaces are coated in flour. Tip out any excess flour.
6. Knead again. Uncover the dough and tip it onto a clean surface. Knead the dough again for a further 5 or 6 minutes.
7. Add the quinoa. Set aside a small handful of seeds which will be scattered on the top of the loaf. Flatten out the dough and tip the dried quinoa seeds into the middle. Carefully bring the dough back into a ball and knead again to help distribute the quinoa. Add a little more flour if you feel that the dough has become too soft.
8. Shape the dough. Liberally dust the work surface with spelt flour. Flatten the dough into an oblong or square the same length as the prepared loaf tin. Roll the dough up and place it into the tin, seam side down. Don't worry if it goes into the tin a little messy (see notes below).
9. Prove the dough for a second time. Place the tin into a clean plastic bag and set aside in a warm place for about for about 25 - 30 minutes.
10. Preheat the oven to 220 / 200Fan / Gas 7.
11. Decorate. Remove the loaf from the plastic bag and scatter the reserved quinoa seeds over the top.
12. Bake. Place on the middle shelf in the oven and bake for 35 - 40 minutes, turning the loaf around half way through.
13. Test the loaf for a thorough bake. Remove the loaf from the oven and the tin. Tap the loaf on the underside. If it sounds hollow the bread is ready; place on a cooling tray. Otherwise place it directly back in the oven, without the tin, for a few more minutes.
Enjoy!
Notes:
a) Allow the dough to prove more slowly in step 3, if possible, by leaving it in a cooler place. This helps more flavour to develop.
b) If cooking the quinoa yourself aim to get the seed as dry as possible.
c) Ideally use wholemeal spelt flour when preparing the loaf tin. I tend to find the cooked loaf has a pale shadow where it sat against the flour if I use white.
d) The dough can be difficult to shape as spelt flour has a tendency to spread outward due to its lower gluten content. If this happens with you, as it does with me, simply let the dough flow from your hands into the loaf tin. It will soon spread out filling the area available. Use your finger to try to smooth the top a little.
e) The top of the loaf is likely to look rustic, but this is part of its charm and certainly wont affect its taste.
Life Loving
Yum! I actually think it looks quite nice. I know you said it looks a bit rustic, but I quite like that in a bread. I've never eaten quinoa bread, I've had quinoa many times and really enjoy it, but a bread made of it is a different matter.
Sally @ Life Loving
#LifeLovingLinkie
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
I must admit I was a little sceptical when I bought Mr E some a few weeks ago but we both really enjoyed it and although our homemade loaf is different to the shop bought one it has been a big success in our household. The quinoa really adds a lot of lovely flavour to the bread.
Thanks for popping by and commenting SAlly,
Angela x
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins
Oooh Angela this bread looks so good! I really am going to have to give this one a go, I love quinoa and this bread looks perfect x
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Aw thank you Kirsty 🙂 The quinoa certainly packs a lot of delicious flavour to the bread (I tried making it yesterday without the grains and it wasn't anywhere near as flavoursome).
Thanks for popping by and commenting,
Angela x
Charlotte TheMummyToolbox
I've never made bread before! this looks great, and I love that it uses quinoa which is something I always have in the house! Thanks so much for linking up to #YumTum this week and well done for being featured 🙂
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Ooh you've got to change that Charlotte! You could just even make a quick bread which still smells amazing as it cooks but is far less time consuming 🙂
Thanks for popping by Charlotte and of course for hosting,
Angela x
Honest mum
Wow this looks delicious! Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays x
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Thank you Vicki 🙂
Sarah James
I love the look of your loaf Angela, a rustic loaf is so tempting especially with those seeds on top, I could just eat a slice. I've never tried quinoa in bread before, I reckon I need to have a try. Thanks for sharing x
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Thank you so much Sarah 🙂 The quinoa seeds were great on the crust as it gave extra texture. I didn't notice the texture of the home cooked seeds inside the loaf to be honest, but they certainly helped make the loaf tasty and of course more nutritious. When I used the pre-cooked seeds in the loaf they were a little more obvious due their colour (this was a mix of white and red quinoa seeds). You could also hear these seeds 'pop' as the bread toasted each morning.
Thanks for popping by Sarah and commenting,
Angela x
Mandy
I think it looks fabulous! Rustic loaves are my favourite. Must give this a go. Thanks for linking up with #CookBlogShare this week x
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Aw thank you for your kind comments Mandy,
Thanks for hosting,
Angela x
Rebecca Beesley
how clever of you to try to recreate the loaf you bought originally! I've been trying to use more wholemeal flour and things like spelt flour lately but it is a learning curve although i was brave enough to attempt croissants recently with 50% wholemeal flour.
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Ooh croissants! Yum, round to your place for breakfast this weekend 😉
I really should have asked the in-store's bakers as to what the ingredient list was - especially the type of flour. In hindsight, I don't think the bought loaf included spelt flour (they'd have used that in the product's name as a selling point) but what we came up with has been really delicious and kind to our tummies.
Thanks for the kind comments Rebecca,
Angela x
Eb Gargano / Easy Peasy Foodie
I think your loaf looks lovely - I like that rustic look - far nicer than the uniform pre-made stuff 🙂 Love the idea of using quinoa in bread...I've never heard of that before but I can imagine it must work really well and it is supposed to be so good for you! Must give it a go! 🙂
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Aw thank you Eb, rustic certainly makes it looks home made doesn't it. The quinoa was lovely in the bread. When we tried the recipe with the ready cooked quinoa we could actually hear the seeds pop whilst it was in the toaster, with no ill effect to the toast I hasten to add 🙂 I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as we do.
Thanks for popping by and commenting,
Angela x
Corina
It looks gorgeous and rustic. I've recently tried spelt flour bread and loved it. I used to make bread all the time in my breadmaker but these days I find we get through so much bread I'd be making it every day so I've got a bit lazy with breadmaking and end up buying most of what we eat. You have inspired me to try again though! Thank you so much for joining in with #CookOnceEatTwice as well.
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Ooh do Corina, if for no other reason than it being a delicious change to a shop bought loaf. I've been loving the spelt flour (even though I've found it very difficult to shape) and am keen to try some other baked goods with it.
Thanks for hosting Corina,
Angela x