Oaty Spelt
OATY SPELT
Ingredients
- 1 Kg Wholegrain Spelt
- 75 g medium oatmeal
- 75 g oatbran
- 15 g salt
- 10 g dried yeast (or two heaped tesapoons)
- 630 ml lukewarm water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp hempseed oil (alternative sunflower or olive oil if not available)
- A ladel full of sourdough starter
- plus some coarse semolina for dusting the baking trays
Method
Add the dried yeast and sugar to the lukewarm water. Leave till frothy. Mix well and leave a short while longer while you prepare and combine the dry ingredients and mix them. Add the water and yeast. Mix well using a mixer with dough hoook, or by hand. When partly mixed, add the ladel full of sourdough starter and continue mixing. The sourdough starter can be either active or from a batch stored in the fridge from a previous "feeding" of your sourdough starter. (If you do not have a starter, reduce the water volume to 600 ml, or add a bit more flour).
When the dough is well mixed, turn it out onto a floured sruface and knead it well. Lightly oil your bowl, form the dough into a ball and add it to the bowl. Cover with a plastic bag and leave it to rise. Depending on the temperature this may be several hours. When at least doubled in size or more, turn out onto a floured surface, divide into two or three, knock each back. Shape then into loaves and lay each in a floured proving basket. Cover with plastic bags and leave to rise till at least doubled in size or more.
The secret is leaving it to rise for perhaps longer than normal, as well as adding the sourdough starter.
Heat the oven to 220 degrees C, or the highest setting. Place trays in the oven to heat up. Also place a deeper tray in the bottom of the oven to hold some water. Boil a kettle full of water. When ready, remove the hot trays, dust them with coarse semolina. Upturn the proving baskets over the trays to transfer the loaves to the trays. Make two to three diagonal cuts across each loaf with a sharp a serrated knife. Spray each loaf with water. Fill the tray in the bottom of the oven with the boiled water from the kettle. Put the tays with loaves into the oven. Set the timer for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, reduce the temperature to 180 degrees C and contine for another 20 minutes, if divided into 3 loaves, or 25 minutes if divided into two loaves. After this time, remove a loaf and check if they are ready by tapping on the base. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
