One Rise Fennel Loaf with Spelt

This One Rise Fennel Loaf is a slightly moist and chewy oat bran bread, complemented with the unique texture of spelt flour, and flavor-enhanced with crushed fennel seeds and dried chives. This dough can also be rolled flat and cut to make pull-apart bread sticks.

Submitted by Rod (Dallas, TX)

One Rise Fennel Loaf

Ingredients:

1 cup spelt flour
1 1/2 cups bread flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups very warm water
2/3 cup med. oat bran
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp virgin olive oil
2 tsp crushed fennel seeds
1 1/2 tbsp dried chives (optional)
1/2 cup bread flour for kneading

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine spelt flour, bread flour, and salt; make a well, then cover and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, bring water to a boil, remove from heat and stir in rinsed oat bran. Allow to cool until very warm (about 20 min.), then stir in sugar and dry yeast; cover and let rest 5 min.

Lightly oil a bread pan and set aside; pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Vigorously stir olive oil into oat bran mixture then pour into flour mixture. With a large wooden spoon, stir mixture then knead dough 5 min.

Transfer dough to a floured surface and gently knead by hand 5 min., adding sprinkles of bread flour to keep dough from sticking to hands and surface.

Flatten dough to about 1/2″ thickness, sprinkle on crushed fennel seeds and dried chives, then tightly roll up dough and continue kneading 5 min., adding sprinkles of bread flour as necessary.

Form dough into a round oval and place in oiled bread pan. Let rise 45 min. in a warm place, then reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake 55 min. or until crust is golden brown.

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