Candied Ginger, Hemp Hearts + Mango Spelt Bread

 

My big project for the last couple of days is actually orange and lemon marmalade, which I will post when it’s finished- but this spelt bread tester loaf also came out wonderfully! For this particular recipe my ratio of spelt to all purpose flour is 80:20, and I’ve substituted half the sugar for honey. You can make this loaf with 100% spelt flour and 100% honey, making it wheat-flour free and sugar free. I’ve also used coconut oil in place of the butter and added hemp hearts, for a healthier option. With a huge decrease in gluten in the flour you end up with a slightly heavier loaf with less of a fluffy rise, but it tastes delicious and is almost guilt free. This loaf will hold in the fridge, wrapped, for a couple of days- but is best eaten same-day when it still has a nice crispy outer crust and fluffy crumb.

Spelt is something a lot of people are just learning about now, as it’s marketed as a ‘health food’ in North America, but it’s actually an ancient grain that’s been known to man for about 8,000 years. Spelt is often toted as ‘gluten free’, but it should be known that spelt does contain some gluten (which makes it so suitable for baking) so it’s inedible for some coeliacs who are intensely allergic to wheat gluten. For the rest who have non-life-threatening gluten allergies/intolerances it’s a perfect substitute. You can buy all sorts of products made with spelt instead of wheat flour including pasta, cereal, breads, etc. I highly recommend spelt pasta over rice flour pastas for the gluten free eaters, as it cooks almost identically to wheat pasta and doesn’t leave the slimy residue that rice pasta is known for. I’ve cooked it for others and they didn’t know the difference until I informed them. I like VitaSpelt brand, as it’s widely distributed and decently priced.

But aaaaanyways, onto the bread you clicked this post for:

 

Candied Ginger + Mango Spelt Bread: makes 1 large loaf

1                         egg

1                         lemon, zest

1/2                      small mango, diced

1/4 cup               candied/crystallized ginger, diced small

2 TB                   coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup               honey (or 1/4 C honey and 1/4 C brown sugar)

1 cup                  milk

3/4 cup               spelt flour

1/4 cup               all purpose flour

1 cup                  oats

4 TB                    hemp hearts

1/2 tsp                salt

1 TB                   baking powder

1/4 tsp               cinnamon

 

-Preheat your oven to 375 F.

-In a large bowl mix together your egg, lemon zest, mango, candied ginger, coconut oil, and honey/sugar.

-In a separate bowl mix together your flour(s), oats, hemp hearts, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon.

-Stir your milk into your egg and fruit mixture, then carefully mix your dry ingredients in as well, being careful not to overwork the batter. Just mix with a spatula until everything is combined and there are no pockets of dry flour.

-Pour into a greased loaf pan (I line mine with parchment paper as well) and bake for about 30 mins or until the edges are showing colour and a skewer comes out from the centre clean.

-Allow to rest 5 mins, remove from loaf pan onto a wire rack, cool an additional 20 mins, then enjoy!

 

 

So that’s it for the time being, stay tuned for the marmalade- this is my first time making it and I’m excited for it to be finished. While I was slicing up the rind I was also nibbling on it, and I think next time I make it I’ll do an all-lemon version, perfect for summer. Because, you know, it’s in the minuses outside and snowing so hard I can only see one block down the road- and I’m on the 9th floor! Yesterday was so sunny I was actually sweating under my spring jacket while walking down the street… I guess it was just a tease. Winter is still going strong as of this morning. 😦

 

Ciao for now, until the marmalade is ready…  (I even have mason jars!)

 

 

 

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