Doreen Rooke's Fun Recipes

Doreen loves to share her recipes!  Here are a few favorites!

2) Whole Grains

Spelt Bread

No fat, eggs or dairy

2 packages dry yeast

1 tablespoon cane sugar

7 cups of spelt flour, fine and course (at least 3 cups fine flour are necessary)

2 cups of water

1 tablespoon sea salt

Boil water and let cool to lukewarm temperature. Stir yeast and sugar, gradually adding lukewarm water. Add about half the flour and the salt and beat well. Add the remainder of the flour gradually to acquire a stiff dough. It may require more or less than 7 cups given in the recipe. Knead 5 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Put dough into a buttered bowl and turn once to butter surface. Cover with towel and let rise until doubled, keeping it between 80 and 90 degrees F, during the entire rising time. It will take about two hours for the bread to rise. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. Punch down with your fist and divide into two. Knead and shape into two loaves and place into loaf pans. Cover again and rise to top of pans. Bake for 50 minutes. Variations add spoonfuls of flaxseed, fennel, caraway and/or thyme for spicy bread.

Spelt cracker

1 cup of course spelt flour *

1 cup of ground sesame seeds (which is about 2/3 cup of whole seeds before grinding. toast the seeds if a nuttier flavor is desired.)

2 tsp. Tamari Soya sauce ( use the tamari brand since it is a genuine Soya sauce and not a quick, processed imitation.)

2 to 4 tbsps. water

Mix seeds and flour and stir well. Add tamari (or 1/4 tsp. seasalt) plus 2 to 4 tablespoons of water. Stir until mix becomes tacky and sticks together. You don’t want it too wet or the crackers will be hard after baking. Oil the cookie sheet with a lecithin/oil mix and spread the cracker dough on it using a spoon sprinkle a light dusting of flour over the mixture and roll out the dough into a flat sheet using either a rolling pin, a glass tumbler on its side, or simply press flat with fingers. (The thickness of the dough should be about 1/4 inch but can be thicker if desired.) Prick the dough all over with a fork to prevent bubbling while baking and score the surface with a knife into cracker size squares about 2 to 3 inches on a side. The crackers will break easily along these after baking. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and turn the cracker dough over on the tray. Do this by using another tray to catch the dough as you turn it over and then simply slide it back, upside down onto the first tray. Bake another 10 to 12 minutes and put the crackers on a rack to cool. Break the crackers apart when cool and store in cool place, but not in a refrigerator where they will get soft. Serve topped with almond butter, tahini, homemade jam (see recipe) or eat with soup, salads or wherever your imagination leads.

* Try using half & half e.g. (spelt/rice; spelt/oats; spelt/kumat)

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups finely ground spelt flour

1 tbsp aluminum-free baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 cup of buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 Degrees. Oil baking sheet. Combine all ingredients and add buttermilk until just blended. Drop batter by heaping spoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lighted browned.

Bread Machine Spelt Loaf

1-1/2 cups lukewarm water

2 tablespoons powdered milk

1-1/2 salt

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon guar gum

3-3/4 cups spelt flour

1-3/4 teaspoons yeast

1. Measure ingredients in the order listed into the baking pan.

2. Insert baking pan securely into unit, close lid.

3. Select GRAIN setting and 1.5lb. loaf setting.

4. Push start button. There will be a 25 minute preheat delay before mixing begins.

5. The complete signal will sound when done.

6. Using pot holders, remove baking pan from the unit carefully turn bread out of baking pan. (Mixing paddle may remain in bread. Remove paddle when loaf is cool.)

7. Allow to cool before slicing.

Time: 4:10 hours