This rye bread has spelt flour rather than the usual wheat flour, which makes it much healthier. It is a lovely bread to accompany thick soups like split pea (find a great vegetarian version here) or potato and leek. Of course, it also makes a great sandwich or toast. This is a very easy recipe and takes about 3 hours with the proving and cooking.
Wheat-free Rye Bread
Rye contains about a third of the amount of gluten that wheat does, so this is not a gluten free recipe, but a wheat-free one. I use an organic rye flour and find this far easier to digest than a wheat bread. This recipe is from '26 Grains, by Ella Mills' and is very easy to make. I use a food mixer to knead it but you could do it by hand if you prefer. Both methods are in the recipe. The caraway seeds are optional.Leave the bread to cool completely before slicing or it will crumble.
Ingredients
- 10 g Dried yeast
- 2 Tbsp Honey
- 500 g Rye flour
- 400 g Spelt flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- Oil For greasing the pan
- 1 Tbsp Caraway seeds
Instructions
- Activate the yeast by placing it in a bowl with 3 Tablespoons lukewarm water. Leave to froth for 15 minutes
- Dissolve the honey in 550ml lukewarm water
Hand kneading
- Put both flours, salt and caraway into a bowl and combine well
- Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast mixture and then the honey water
- Mix to form a sticky dough and then tip out onto a floured board
- Knead for about 5 minutes until it feels elastic
- Transfer to a clean, oiled bowl, cover with cling-wrap or a tea towel and place somewhere warm for about 1 hours, or until it has risen by half.
- Grease a 900g loaf tin with olive oil and lightly dust with flour.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead for another 2-3 minutes
- Transfer into the prepared loaf tin, cover again and leave for another 1 hour
Machine Kneading
- Put both flours, salt and caraway into the bowl and combine well. Put the dough hook on the machine
- Turn the machine on very slow and add the honey water and yeast mix
- Once the flours and liquids have combined and formed a sticky dough, turn the machine up slightly and knead for 5 minutes or until the dough feels elastic
- Remove the bowl from the machine, cover with cling wrap or a tea towel and leave in a warm place for about 1 hours, or until it has risen by half
- Grease a 900g loaf tin with olive oil and lightly dust with flour.
- Return the mixing bowl to the machine and knead for an other 2-3 minutes
- Transfer into the prepared loaf tin, cover again and leave for another 1 hour
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 200C. Place the bread on the middle shelf and bake for 35-40 minutes
- Remove the bread from the tin and return to the oven, placing it directly on the shelf
- Cook for another 5 minutes
- Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack
- Leave it to cool completely before slicing