Spelt Focaccia

Santhi from Me and My Kitchen is this month's host of Jihva for Ingredients and the theme chosen was Flour.

It's certainly a theme that is widely encompassing and after a bit of thought I settled upon a less common flour to make a traditional Italian bread. The flour I've chosen is Spelt Flour.

Spelt is an ancient species of wheat - it has a harder shell that protects the kernel resulting in a more delicate and softer flour. One of the benefits in using spelt when making bread is that it needs less water and less kneading. It's the perfect flour to make wonderful Focaccia. This recipe is incredibly easy and the biggest key to it's success is that you don't overwork the dough. You'll notice that there's hardly any kneading involved and this utilises the grains natural characteristics. It's that simple you'll wonder why you still buy Focaccia rather then make it yourself.

Spelt Focaccia

300 grams Spelt Flour
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
fresh rosemary, optional

To make the Rosemary Topping:
Strip the rosemary from the stalk and place in a small bowl with some extra virgin olive oil and a grind of fresh pepper.

To make the Focaccia:
In a large bowl, sift in the flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Make a little well in the centre and slowly incorporate the water and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. You want the mixture to come together and lose most of it's stickiness. Transfer to a board and knead very briefly (10-20 seconds at most) to form a smooth ball. Place this in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap - leave in a warm place to double in size.

When doubled, place on baking paper and using your hands push the dough to form a rough oblong shape. Put this on a tray, dimple the surface with your fingertips then dot the top with the rosemary topping. Place this in a warm place to rise again for about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F - sprinkle the bread with a little salt and cook for 25 minutes or until the bread is golden and feels cooked through.

Cool on a wire rack.

One of the differences you'll notice is that the bread itself has a more natural look - it's an almost beige interior. The taste and the scents filling your home will have you coming back for more.