Basil and Parmesan Spelt Bread

I know I am not doing a good job of keeping the blog going these days but I am hoping this gets corrected soon because while I am not blogging, I have been cooking and trying new recipes out and the pending post lists just keeps growing.

I realized I have not posted a new bread recipe for some time now, so today thought of sharing this basil and parmesan spelt bread recipe that I tried recently.

Its an adaption of the whole wheat bread recipe I have posted before. Instead of whole wheat flour I used spelt flour and wheat germ in this bread. I love spelt flour and while mellower in taste than whole wheat, some claim it to be healthier. According to various health sites, Spelt is high in vitamin B2, niacin, manganese, thiamin, copper, and magnesium. There are varying arguments though on whether spelt is more nutritious than whole wheat, but it still has its share of nutrition and is great if you are making a switch from regular flour to more wholesome grains. Also, the greater solubility of spelt protein makes it easier to digest than wheat, and thus making the nutrients more easily available to your body.

By using Red Star’s platinum yeast (not sponsored but a yeast I like to use), this bread comes together really quickly as it requires only a single rise. A note for when baking with spelt it is better to not overknead the bread, and if using the mixer then knead on the lowest speed. While wheat based breads benefit from kneading, spelt flour requires only a little kneading to activate the gluten in it. If using active dry yeast, you will have to use the double rise method for the bread, and also activate the yeast in lukewarm water before adding flour to make the dough.

I used a bit of all purpose flour, just for taste benefits plus I was not sure how a 100% spelt bread would rise. I had some fresh basil in the refrigerator that I wanted to use and thought would be great in the bread. Some parmesan cheese and the flavors in this bread were on point.

A nice runny yolk egg, some fruits, and this toasted bread made for a good start to the day.

While I generally don’t share my personal views on trending topics on the blog ( this is my food blog and I like to avoid controversial topics here) sometimes certain things just rub me the wrong way. The internet can be a cruel place and lately I see people passing judgement so quickly that it amazes me to think how easily they forget their own mistakes.

I try not to react to negative comments on the blog. Fortunately I dont get many and when I do its on a recipe that others have tried and left positive comments on so I figure it might be the cook’s off day or something went wrong while cooking or the recipe is just not to the person’s taste. But when people are being nit picky for the heck of it, it just gets me. If you have nothing nice to say then please don’t. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, sometimes I feel people find mistakes even when there are none. Just because its the internet and you dont know me so you will never confront me doesnt mean it gives you the right to be nit picky about something. And probably this particular comment that I have brought up today would have been ignored by me but the story of the alligator taking a two year old boy in Orlando came out and when I read the comments on the story, I was amazed how quickly people had taken to passing judgement on the parents.

When the Cincinnati Zoo incident happen, everyone blamed the mother, as if they themselves had never taken eyes off their kid for a second. No matter how much you try to protect or guard someone, mistakes and accidents happen that are beyond your control and if you are not in the exact same shoes, please keep your opinions to yourself and show compassion. When the whole Orlando alligator incident happened, again everybody became the perfect parents, quickly pointing fingers at the parents who just lost their two year old child without even trying to find the whole story and getting their facts in place. This mother summed it up pretty much what was going on my mind– it could have happened to anybody and we have no right to judge anybody’s parenting skills.  Her kid was at the exact same spot, doing the exact same thing only a couple of hours earlier that very same day. Fortunately for her they came back home safe. And like her a lot of other perfectly responsible parents have done the same at the exact same place. This was an accident. A tragic accident and beyond anybody’s control. We have no right to judge. Period. Instead of writing hateful comments, send your prayers. I am sure the family is already dealing with their share of grief without strangers adding to it.

“We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their behavior.” ― Stephen M.R. Covey

This quote by Stephen Covey might not completely fit the bill here but it is something we should definitely think about and correct about our ways. Not only on the internet but in our day to day lives, in our interactions. I can be the worst when it comes to be patient with the ones I love. And this quote really struck a chord with me- we need to to start looking at people’s intentions instead of misreading their behavior.

Basil and Parmesan Spelt Bread

 

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Spelt Bread with basil and parmesan.

Serves: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups spelt flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1¼ to 1½ cups water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp honey/molasses
• 1 packet instant yeast ( I used red star premium)
• bunch of basil leaves
• 1 tbsp garlic powder (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

1. In a bowl of a stand mixer mix all the ingredients and mix on low for 4-5 minutes or till you feel its smooth and stretchy. Grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan and shape dough to oblong and place in the pan. Let rise to double for an hour or so.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F and bake for 35-40 minutes.
3. Let cool for 5 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack completely before slicing it.

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