Walnut Spelt Bread

I absolutely adore baking bread. The aroma that comes out of the oven and spreads around the house when I bake bread just puts a smile on my face. My go-to recipe for home-made bread is definitely my ciabatta because it is very quick and easy to make. However, I also like to use spelt flour and this Walnut Spelt Bread is a fantastic recipe for something a bit more special and somewhat sophisticated. I made this bread as part of my New Year’s Eve spread and it was a huge success. The crust is crunchy, while the crumb is light and fluffy with the occasional crunch from the walnuts. It is an absolute keeper. You can serve it plain, but I think it is the perfect bread to serve with your cheese platter… any cheese really, though my favourite combination was with blue cheese. Enjoy!

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Walnut Spelt Bread

Walnut Spelt Bread - healthy and delicious, perfect with cheese or on its own.

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 3 hours

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Servings: 2 medium sized baguettes

Author: Manuela Zangara

Ingredients

Starter

• 200 gms – 1 ½ cup all purpose or bread flour
• 160 ml – ⅔ cup lukewarm water
• 4 gms – 1 ½ tsp active dry yeast

Bread

• Starter
• 180 gms – 1 ½ cup spelt flour
• 40 gms – ⅓ cup all purpose or bread flour
• 130 gms – 4 ½ oz. walnuts
• 1 tbsp honey
• 10 gms – 2 tsp salt
• 150 ml – ⅔ cup water

Instructions

Starter

1. Melt the yeast in the lukewarm water. Add the flour and mix well.
2. Cover and keep aside to rise for at least 1 hour, or until it doubles in size and it becomes bubbly.
   

Bread

1. In the meantime, mix together the remaining flours, salt, walnuts and honey.
2. When the starter is ready, add it to the flour and walnut mixture. Knead well with an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, while adding the water little by little. Knead for at least 5 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth and it detaches from the sides of the bowl. Make the dough into a ball and keep it aside to proof for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
   
3. Gently place the dough onto a floured surface. Cut it in 2 and shape into 2 baguettes. Do do so, gently flatten 1 half of the dough and make it into a rectangle, then roll it on itself and press it down to seal it. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
4. Put the bread on a baking tray covered with baking paper. Sprinkle with some flour and score the top a few times with a sharp knife. Let the bread rest and rise for 20 minutes.
   
5. In the meantime, pre-heat the oven at 200°C – 400°F with a bowl of water inside. This will create some steam that will create a good crumb.
6. When the oven is hot, remove the bowl with water and bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes or until the crust becomes brown and hard.
7. Let it cool down on a wire rack before slicing it.

Recipe Notes

This bread is perfect on its own or with cheese.