Spelt flour challot

I hadn’t baked with spelt flour before but decided to try to make challah with it for Rosh Hashana. I had read that the dough doesn’t hold its shape as well as white flour, so I made small round ones with the hope that they would keep stay in their form. I had also read that putting the bread in a round pan works too to prevent spreading.  I rarely eat white flour, so when I was in Haifa this past summer, I was excited to visit an incredible bakery (I think simply called The Bakery). They have a rack filled with dense, heavy, nutty-flavored breads, all for the purpose of being nutritious, healing foods. One had a special sign that it was for people with parkinsons. The owner was a non baker who started making breads at home for to heal his wife’s ailments. On a counter were half loaves and a large knife to cut samples, like being in a cheese shop.  They were delicious!

At the bakery in Haifa

Spelt flour challah
I used this easy vegan recipe and the only variation was that I added some raisins to half.
Ingredients
1/4 c warm water
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 yeast packet (2 1/4 tsp)
1 cup almond milk
3 tbsp olive oil
3.5 cups spelt flour
1 tsp salt
optional: raisins

Preparation:
1. Add water and maple syrup to a bowl and mix. Then add the yeast, mix in and let stand about 10 minutes until it’s frothy. (I put a towel over and around it to keep it warm).
2. Add almond milk, olive oil, 2 cups of flour and the salt. Mix until a dough starts to form.
3. Slowly add 1/2 cup more of flour, kneading into the flour.
4. Add olive oil to a bowl and put the dough in it. Cover and keep in a warm place for one hour.
5. After the dough has risen, knead once more and then shape into challah. Let sit for 30 minutes. During this time, pre-heat over to 350 degrees).
6. Bake for 35-45 minutes (recipe calls for 45 mins but mine was ready after 35). The bread should sound hollow when tapped. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes.

Shana tova!

PS: Click to the previous post to see a roundup of all of my Rosh Hashana recipes