joey's fruit & nut spelt loaf

prep time 1 hr 20
cooking time 30 mins
difficulty medium
style bread
oven temp 200 fan assisted oven, 250 non-fan


this loaf is an ideal breakfast food as it is filling and packed with fibre. it is also very sweet ( though with no added sugar) making it a perfect substitute for cake as a teatime snack.


ingredients

200g organic spelt flour (Doves Farm is very good)
200g organic white flour
1 sachet of fast acting yeast
1 pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of olive oil
300g of chopped dried fruit and nuts (I used prunes, dates, apricots and walnuts)
roughly 200-250 ml of water (add slowly as required)


1) prepare your dried fruit and nuts, roughly chopping and adding to a large mixing bowl

2) add the flour, yeast, oil and salt the bowl and stir throughly

3) make a well in the flour and slowly pour in the water bit by bit, stirring as you go. you want the mixture to clump together but not to be wet like normal bread dough, it should still look floury when you have finished. the fruit will add extra moisture and the dough will come together when you knead it

4) turn the mixture out onto a clean surface, lightly dust with flour. gently knead the bread with your hands for 10 minutes until it is of a good firm elasticity and texture

5) place the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave somewhere warm for an hour

6) once the dough has doubled in size, turn back out onto your surface and knead for a couple of seconds and shape the dough into a roll

7) place the dough into a medium sized loaf tin, and return to a warm place for a further 40 mins (preheat the oven during this time)

8) place the loaf tin on the middle shelf of your pre-heated oven and cook until gold brown (you can tell if bread is cooked by tapping it. if it makes a hollow sound-it is done! this loaf is quite moist so won't sound as hollow as standard bread but 25 minutes in the oven should be perfect.)

9) turn out the loaf onto a cooling rack and leave for about an hour. serve with dairy free spread and a lovely cup of tea.