Spelt Flaxseed Bread

I love carbs. In all shapes and sizes. Bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, muffins, the list goes on. In comes this amazingly delicious spelt flaxseed bread recipe. It’s perfect for all your bread needs. Like sandwiches, toast, on the side of your soup, or my personal favourite, eating straight out of the oven completely plain. The only negative thing I have to say about this bread is that you may never be able to eat store bought bread again.

Bread Baking

Even though bread baking can seem intimidating and complicated, having to follow measurements precisely, and yeast activating, letting it rise, yata yata yata. This loaf is actually fairly simple and I have a few tips to keep in mind when it comes to bread baking.

1. Make sure your yeast hasn’t gone bad, if it’s past its expiry date, chances are it might not properly activate, leaving the bread flat and the baker sad.
2. Make sure you let your yeast activate. To start, you will simply sprinkle it over warm water and leave it for a few minutes. It should become bubbly if it’s activated.
3. Homemade breads often end up being more dense than store-bought. To have a nice airy loaf just make sure you knead your dough enough.

Although I am a sourdough fanatic, this spelt flaxseed bread is my absolute favourite non-sourdough bread. It’s so light and airy, and has a subtle sweet and salty taste that makes it perfect for sweet or savoury purposes.

Even though this was a combined effort, I have to give credit to my brother for this recipe, as he originally made it with whole wheat flour, which was also delicious! One day he was making it and we didn’t have any whole wheat flour so I said to substitute with spelt flour, and it was even more delicious! So although I am the one writing this blog post he is definitely the mastermind behind this incredible loaf of joy. Lol

Seed mixture

As a finishing touch to our bread, a necessary step, (in my opinion) is lots of seeds on top of the loaf once you have brushed it with egg wash.

My favourites are chia seeds, flaxseed, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. I don’t tend to measure them out. I just place them in a mason jar, cover it and shake to mix them all together. Sprinkle it over the bread, and then they’re all set for baking.

Health

Why are carbs important? In a nutshell, carbohydrates are the macronutrient that our bodies turn into glucose molecules that are used as energy. This is why carbs are often referred to as athlete’s “fuel”. Once you’re done working out, your “glycogen stores”, aka how carbs are stored in our muscles are depleted. That’s when you should eat more carbs to replenish your glycogen stores.

Spelt flour is an ancient grain with a sweet, nutty flavour and can be used for many breads or other baking recipes. It creates a light and airy texture for your baked goods which is always a win. While spelt is mainly a source of carbohydrates, it also contains more protein than wheat, with around 5g per serving. Spelt flour is also more water-soluble than wheat which means that it’s easier for our body to digest.

Last but certainly not least, flaxseeds contain so many nutritional benefits it’s not even funny. They are full of omega-3’s as well as fiber, and they are a good plant-based source of protein and healthy fats as well.

Spelt Flaxseed Bread Recipe

Yield: 2 loaves Prep/Rise time: 2 hours Bake time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tsp yeast
• 1 1/4 c unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 3/4 + 1/4c spelt flour*
• 3/4 c ground flaxseed
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 egg
• 2-4 tbsp of mixed seeds to top

Method

1. In a large bowl add warm water and sprinkle yeast on top. Let it rest for around 5 minutes to activate the yeast.
2. Mix in the milk, honey, and oil.
3. Start by adding 1 cup of flour, ground flaxseed, and salt. Stir to combine.
4. Then add the rest of the flour and mix together.
5. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
6. If you have a stand mixer use dough hook attachment knead until the dough becomes smooth. Around 5 minutes. Or knead by hand for around 7-8 minutes.
7. Spray or lightly drizzle a bowl with olive oil and place dough into the bowl, cover with a towel and let rise for 1 1/2 hours.
8. Once it has risen, being around double in size separate the dough into two pieces, gently shaping into a loaf shape. Line loaf pans with parchment paper (or spray non-stick spray, but I find it works the best with parchment paper). *I find this dough fairly wet compared to other breads I have made, so if you think necessary, add a couple tablespoons of flour so it is easier to handle. This is where you can add the extra 1/4 c of flour if needed. (I always wet my hands before handling the dough so it won’t stick.)
9. Cover the pans with a towel and allow them to rise for another 45mins – 1 hour.
10. The bread should have risen to fill the bread pan most of the way if not all the way.
11. Preheat oven to 425℉.
12. In a small bowl lightly whisk an egg and brush egg wash over loaves. (Brush gently so it doesn’t lose its shape.)
13. Sprinkle seed mixture over top. I usually do a mixture of flaxseed, chia seeds, poppy seeds, and sesame seeds.
14. Turn preheated oven down to 375℉ and place loaves in oven.
15. Bake for 30-33 minutes.
16. Let bread cool for ten minutes if you can wait that long.

Nutrition

For 1 of 12 slices per loaf

Calories: 102 Fat: 3g Sodium: 300mg Carbohydrates: 16g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 1g Protein: 3g