mixed seed bread with thyme and rosemary

I using yeast?!! This is what happened. I haven't used yeast for about three years or so, not because I have anything against it, I simply find it more convenient to bake bread with gluten-free baking powder that is ready for the oven as soon as the dough has been mixed. Last week my husband went grocery shopping and on the list was baking powder. In the health food section it is next to the yeast so he simply grabbed the wrong thing. He bought a few packages and instead of returning it I decided to experiment a little with bread recipes. This is one of my results and it looks like I'll be buying more yeast in the future. If you buy dry yeast in the health food section it will contain nothing but fresh yeast that has been dried. The package I use contains 9 grams and is intended for 500 grams of flour. It's a quick yeast which means that you don't have to mix it with water or anything like that, you simply blend it with the ingredients and let the dough rise before moulding a loaf that goes straight into the oven. Most yeast bread recipes will tell you to knead the dough for several minutes but I find it best to knead it as little as possible (maybe it's because I use spelt flour). I make two medium sized loafs from the dough.

MIXED SEED BREAD WITH THYME AND ROSEMARY

INGREDIENTS

• 500 g spelt flour (4 cups*)
• 1 package dry yeast (9 g) - see description above
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ tablespoon raw cane sugar, organic
• ½ tablespoon flaxseeds/linseeds
• ½ tablespoon pumpkin seeds
• ½ tablespoon sesame seeds
• ½ tablespoon sunflower seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
• 150 ml hot water
• 125 ml soya milk or regular (½ cup)
• 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil or other quality vegetable oil

* American readers please note: 500 grams of spelt flour is about 4 cups minus 3 tablespoons. 1 cup = 250 ml

METHOD

1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl using a large wooden spoon or a spatula
2. Boil some water and then blend the water, milk, and oil in a measuring cup. Slowly pour it into the bowl while mixing the dough gently with the spoon
3. Use one hand to gently knead the dough while it is still in the bowl. If there is still some dry flour on the bottom of the bowl that doesn't mix then add 1-2 tablespoons of water and knead the dough a little more. Make sure the dough is not sticky (at this stage I keep the dough in the bowl while kneading it)
4. Put a lid on the bowl or cover it with a tea towel and let the dough rise for about 45 minutes in a draught-free spot
5. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Divide the dough in half and gently knead each half on a lightly (spelt)floured working surface. I start with making a ball and then I slowly begin spreading it a little and rolling it back and forth. The size of the loafs I mould is about 10 x 22 cm (4 x 8.7 inches)
6. Bake at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 20-22 minutes

cinnamon buns (yeast free)

I have nothing against yeast; I simply don't have the patience to use it! There, I said it. About two years ago I began experimenting with a yeast free cinnamon buns (rolls) recipe. Everyone in this household loved it, but I wasn't 100% happy, I wanted them softer. On a beautiful Sunday morning in September I was dreaming about freshly baked and soft cinnamon buns when I had an epiphany! I ran into the kitchen, put the invisible stay-out-of-my-kitchen sign on the door, put on my apron and began working, and I got the results I wanted. The yummy noises at the dining table were very rewarding. I've baked these with and without oil and both versions are good. Here's my golden rule: If I'm baking them to put in the freezer I always use oil (the children love to find these in their snack box). If I'm baking them to serve right away, and I know that all the buns will be eaten, I either skip the oil or use one tablespoon. As I want my buns rather thick I roll and stretch the dough into a square instead of a rectangle. By the way, the recipe includes no eggs and the dough itself contains no sugar. And you know what, the buns are delicious!

CINNAMON BUNS

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH

• 435 g spelt flour (between 3¼-3½ cups)
• 2-2½ tablespoons gluten free baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• 250-300 ml soya milk or regular
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil (optional, see intro)

FILLING

• 1 tablespoon agave nectar or pure maple syrup
• ½ tablespoon coconut oil
• 2½-3½ tablespoons raw cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• optional: chopped pecans and/or raisins

METHOD

1. Start with the dough: In a large bowl combine the spelt flour, baking powder and salt. Usually I use 2 tablespoons of gluten free baking powder but sometimes 2½ if I want the buns a little bigger. (Use only 1 tablespoon of baking powder if you're using regular and add ½-1 teaspoon if you want them a little bigger.)
2. Add the 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil or skip this step. (If the oil is solid, place the jar in a bowl of hot water before you start baking.)
3. Add the milk, starting with 250-275 ml, and mix gently with a large wooden or silicone spoon. Add more milk if you need. The dough is not supposed to be too wet, you have to be able to knead it and flatten out with a rolling pin. It's good to knead the dough just a bit in the bowl with your hands to get a feel for its texture. (American readers! 250 ml is exactly 1 cup so start with that and add a little more of milk.)
4. Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface and knead it with your hands. You have to use plenty of spelt flour on the surface because you don't want the dough sticking to it
5. Bring out your rolling pin and roll and stretch the dough to form a square that is about 37 cm (14.6 inches). I make a square instead of a rectangle because I like my buns to be thick
6. Now the filling: Mix the agave nectar and coconut oil in a small bowl. In a separate bowl blend the raw cane sugar and cinnamon (I find 2½-3 tablespoons of sugar enough but if you are used to more sugary flavour then perhaps you need more. But don't overdo it; we want them healthy!)
7. Spread the agave/oil mix evenly over the square (I find it best to simply use my fingers) and then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top. Add some chopped pecans and/or raisins if you want
8. Tightly but gently roll up the square into a thick log. Use a sharp knife to cut the log into 21 slices (you can start with cutting the log in half). Each slice should be a little less than 2 cm thick (about 0.7-0.8 inches)
9. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or lightly grease it with coconut oil (my tray is 35 x 25 cm/13.8 x 9.8 inches; the height is about 5 cm/2 inches). Place the buns into the baking tray in four rows of four and one row of five that contains the ends, which are a bit smaller
10. Bake in the oven at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 12-15 minutes (please note that my oven is fan assisted. I've baked these at 220°C in a no fan oven)
11. Allow the buns to cool in the baking tray for a few minutes before serving

crispbread

A friend of mine gave me this yeast free crispbread recipe not so long ago and I can highly recommend it, as it is easy to make. She reduced the oil content of the original recipe and said it tasted better that way – of course I take her word for it. I also reduced the salt content. My children like finding this crispbread in their snack box. If you are like I am and enjoy the occasional treat of crackers, cheese and grapes then this crispbread is excellent and of course much healthier than all those salty crackers available on the market. American readers please note: 1 dl = 100 ml, ½ cup = 125 ml.

CRISPBREAD/CRACKERS

INGREDIENTS

• 1¾ dl spelt flour (175 ml)
• ½ dl coarse rolled oats (50 ml)
• ½ dl pumpkin seeds
• ½ dl flaxseeds/linseeds
• ½ dl sesame seeds
• ½ dl sunflower seeds
• ½-¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 dl water
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) quality vegetable oil

METHOD

1. In a large bowl, blend all the ingredients using a spoon or a spatula. The dough will be wet and a bit sticky
2. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. To spread the dough over the parchment you put another baking parchment on top of it and roll it out with a rolling pin. If you need to, simply use your fingers to even the edges out. You can also leave them rough
3. Slice the dough into rectangles (I use a pizza cutter and I tend to make rather small slices) and then pierce the surface of each slice with holes, using a fork or a skewer
4. Place in the oven and allow to bake for 15-20 minutes at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 (please note that my oven is fan assisted) depending on how dark and crisp you want the slices (I bake it for 20 minutes)
5. Allow the crispbread to cool and then store it in an airtight container

pizza dough (yeast free)

Homemade pizza is on our table on Fridays, sometimes on other days as well. Because I make yeast free pizza dough there is no need to wait for the dough to rise, it's ready as soon as the ingredients are mixed. This recipe is from my friend CafeSigrun and I have doubled it because there are five in our household (I make 6-7 thin crust pizzas). I only use ½ teaspoon sea salt because my sauce also contains salt and when each pizza is ready I add a little sea salt on top. I use 1½-2 tablespoons gluten free baking powder but instead you can use about 1 tablespoon of regular. Sometimes I make pizza for lunch while the kids are at school and then I simply divide the rest of the dough into round balls and freeze them. If you want pizza dough with yeast I can recommend Jamie Oliver's recipe; that's the recipe I always made before.

PIZZA DOUGH (YEAST FREE)

INGREDIENTS

• 500 g spelt flour
• 1½-2 tablespoons gluten free baking powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt (you can use more if you want)
• ½ teaspoon oregano (optional)
• 0-1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 225-275 ml hot water (I use exactly 250 ml = 1 cup)

METHOD

1. In a large bowl, mix the spelt flour, baking powder, sea salt and oregano
2. Add the olive oil and water and mix the dough gently with a large wooden spoon
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead it a bit with your hands. The texture of the dough should be fairly soft and it shouldn't stick to the work surface
4. Tear a piece from the dough, lightly knead it and flatten it out with a rolling pin before placing it on a pizza tin or a baking sheet (I make 6-7 pizzas, depending on how large I want them and I use a pizza stone with a diameter of 32 cm (12.6 inches)
5. Top with pizza sauce and your choice of topping and bake in the oven at 230°C/450 °F/gas mark 8 for 7-10 minutes
6. When each pizza is ready I always drizzle it with a touch of extra virgin olive oil and then I add some sea salt, oregano and freshly ground black pepper