Terra Americana

Bread...I think I could be persuaded to live on a diet of bread alone.  All the options for different types would ensure you never got bored.  I have dabbled in the flat bread/Foccacia realm for years.  It was not until I tried Jim Laheys potato based foccacia that I actually found one that I truly liked.

Because this recipe is far more complicated than Lahey's I was reticent to make the effort.  As Dorie and Julia have yet to let me down I decided to take the plunge.  Gluten free flours do not easily lend themselves to bread making.  Because I prefer to stay away from additives like Xanthum Gum I choose to use sprouted spelt flour.  Spelt or farro is a distant relative of wheat.  It contains a small amount of gluten, the sprouted version contains vegetable enzymes making it easier to digest.  This protein packed grain is as close as I have come to resembling the grains that make a great bread. To take on the mouthwatering qualities of wheat bread required making some changes to the original recipe.  Purests can find the original at Wandering Through.

This is what I did;

• 3 cups of sprouted spelt flour
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• 1 tbsp yeast
• 1  1/4 cup water or whey (at 90 f)
• 1/4 cup oil

Mix yeast and 1/2 cup water until it begins to foam.  Add 1/8 cup oil and Agave nectar to the remaining water.  Blend salt into flour, fold in liquids.

Let sit for 2 hours in a warm spot.  When the dough has doubled in size, fold the dough over 2 times.  Let the dough rise for another hour.  When it has doubled in size again deflate it by flooding over 4 times.  Divide the dough in 2 pieces, roll them in the remaining oil and refrigerate tightly sealed for 24 to 36 hours. 

Remove from the refrigerator.  Place the dough on parchment and let sit in a warm spot for 60 minutes.  If you want to save any of the dough, it can be frozen for up to a month after you remove it from the refrigerator.

Preheat your oven to 450 f.  Stretch the dough out on the parchment using the palms of your hands.  If you find it sticky, dust it with flour.  Let the dough sit for another 30 minutes.

When it is ready to bake, drizzle the top with olive oil and herbs and garlic of your choice.  I like using Olio do Panne.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the bread begins to get a golden crust.

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