Being a bread lover, I’m always looking for new ways with bread that don’t include wheat.  Not that I am gluten intolerant but I know that the wheat we consume today is a far cry from the original grain from 50 years ago. It has been terribly manipulated and now we are stuck with a grain that does more harm than good. It inflames our bodies, causes our guts to leak, and it triggers autoimmune diseases just to mention a few.

Nothing beats a home made bread and this way I know exactly what ingredients are used.  It takes fairly little time once you get the hang of it, and I don’t add as much salt. If you do like the salty flavour you could add some nutritional yeast to the recipe together with the salt I use, which is usually half the amount you are used to. Do give it a try, it is so much healthier than store-bought bread.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2  C. Whole grain Rye flour
• 2 1/2  C.  plain Spelt flour
• 2 tsp. instant yeast
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 C. luke warm water
• 1/2 C. leftover black coffee, at room temperature. Either regular or decaf.*
• 1 tbsp. cocoa powder*
• 1 tbsp. coconut sugar
• 1 egg beaten for glazing (omit for vegans)
• 1 tbsp. oat flakes for decorating
• optional: 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast, add with flour.
• Add ins: 1 tbsp. whole flax seed, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a mixer fitted with the hook attachment, mix the two flours, the yeast, the cocoa, the sugar, the water and the coffee. Add seeds if you want. Mix on low for about five minutes, then add the salt. Now knead on medium speed for about ten minutes. Remove the dough, form a ball and put it to rest in an other bowl sprayed with some oil and cover with a damp cloth or some cling film. Leave to rise for two hours.

Now take the dough out of the bowl and spray the kneading surface with cooking spray. Knead briefly until it has a smooth even consistency (this will only take several turns of the dough to accomplish).  Place in greased loaf pan, brush with beaten egg and sprinkle over the oats.  Let rise in warm place until doubled. Bake at 375ºF for 25-30 minutes. To check if it’s ready tap on the bread, it should sound hollow.

*The coffee and cocoa may sound odd in a bread recipe, you don’t really taste either one much, it just gives it a nice color and the cocoa does give it a velvety texture. You’ll see.