You don’t have to give up bread when you’re transitioning to an alkaline diet. This yummy and satisfying spelt bread is made without yeast and refined white flour, items you should avoid on an alkaline diet.
The bread rises to produce a loaf that’s not only beautiful to look at, its nutty, slightly sweet aroma is pure pleasure. Spelt’s whole grain goodness is a great way to round out your alkaline diet. Try it with spread with avocado for breakfast and you’ll never go back to the white bread!
Why Spelt?
Spelt is a grain that has been used for baking for over 5,000 years; it’s one of the oldest cultivated crops. It’s an excellent source of protein, fiber, B vitamins and minerals. If you’re committed to eliminating white processed wheat flour from your diet, spelt is an excellent substitute. While white flour has a pH of 4 which is acidic, spelt is high in phosphorus which helps your body maintain its desired alkaline state. And even though it’s not gluten-free, it may be easier to digest for those who are gluten-sensitive.
Baking With Spelt
If you’re new to bread baking or have never baked with spelt, relax. You can easily produce a lovely, fragrant loaf with this simple recipe. You don’t need to wait for the dough to rise or knead it for more than 2 or 3 minutes. Spelt is a tender grain which absorbs liquid quickly, so add the least amount of water to start and add more only if necessary. Store your spelt flour in the refrigerator in a sealed container to keep it fresh.
Spelt Bread
Ingredients:
- 4 cups spelt flour plus ½ cup more for kneading
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3/4 - 1 cup alkaline water
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the oil, almond milk, and 3/4 cup of the alkaline water and mix until well combined. The mixture should be somewhat soft but hold together in one mass. If is seems too stiff, add more water by tablespoons until it is soft enough to stir easily. If is too wet to hold together, add more spelt flour by tablespoons, mixing after each addition until the dough holds together.
Prepare a surface floured with spelt flour and turn out the dough onto the surface, rolling it around gently to coat the dough with flour. Knead gently for about 2-3 minutes, adding spelt flour in small amounts until the dough becomes a unified ball that springs back gently when prodded with a finger.
Line a standard loaf pan (8” x 4” x 3”) with parchment paper across the width of the pan and grease the ends of the pan lightly with avocado oil. Turn the dough into the pan and pat it so that it is evenly distributed in the pan. With a very sharp knife, lightly score the top of the loaf lengthwise. Bake the bread for 45 minutes. Take it out of the oven and insert a thin sharp knife into the center of the loaf. If it does not come out clean, bake the bread for another 5-10 minutes.
Let the loaf cool completely in the pan before slicing. Spelt bread is best served toasted which crisps the bread and makes it even more tasty. It’s great topped with avocado and sprinkled with lemon and smoked paprika.
