recipe and cooking video: Spelt

Showing posts with label Spelt. Show all posts

Monday, March 19, 2012

Matcha Spelt Castella

Castella, (or Kasutera) soft, delicate with sweet aroma, is a highly popular Japanese sponge cake, raised only by the air incorporated into the eggs and oil-free. The origin of castella is believed to have come from Portuguese merchants who introduced European sweets to Nagasaki Japan in the 16th century.

Castella cake is traditionally baked in a wood box, which helps to bake the cake evenly, but a standard baking tin would work just great. Unlike most cakes, castella cake is baked with bread flour (I used spelt bread flour), not cake or all purpose flour.

There are now many varieties of this sponge cake made with chocolate, honey, green tea, and brown sugar. If you have baked other foam cakes before, the process of creating castella is quite similar. Please do drop by Biren of Roti & Rice to read all the detailed instructions with beautiful photos. And if you are interested in learning more background of castella, please refer to Wise Geek.

You can also find castella on

Anncoo Journal

Nasi Lemak Lover

No Frills Recipes

120 g Spelt bread flour
13 g Matcha tea powder
Pinch of salt
5 Large egg whites, at room temperature
5 Large egg yolks, at room temperature
130 g White fine sugar
20 ml Medium sweet sherry
20 g Honey

Line an 8-inch / 20x20-cm rectangular baking dish with aluminum foil. Whisk and sieve spelt bread flour, matcha powder and salt together 2-3 times into a mixing bowl. Warm sherry and honey in a bowl over a pot of hot water, stirring until honey completely dissolves. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F.
Beat the egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer at high speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Beat in sugar in 3 additions until firm peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Add in egg yolks, one at a time, at medium-low speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
Now add in prepared flour mixture, still at medium-low speed, and stir until just combined. Pour in the sherry-honey mixture and continue to stir for another minute until well-combined and smooth.
Pour the cake batter from a 30-cm / 1-foot height directly into the prepared baking dish. Tap the baking dish on the counter to remove bubbles. Using a spatula, smooth the surface to remove any remaining bubbles.
Bake in the center of the hot oven for 50 minutes until evenly brown. Remove and drop it from a 30-cm / 1-foot height onto the counter to prevent shrinkage. Cool the cake on the counter for 5 minutes. Lift the cake from the pan and invert it onto a piece of parchment paper. Peel the aluminum foil. Wrap the cake with a plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight to preserve moisture.
To serve, trim off the sides of the cake with a sharp serrated knife, then cut up into the even slices.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Spelt Blood Orange Crostata

A crostata is an Italian tart with fruit or cream filling that is baked flat on a pastry crust rather than in a tart pan. Crostata can be prepared with seasonal fruit, as well as any range of canned preserves and even with canned fruits. It’s easy to make and great for a family dessert or a sweet treat at a party.

Spelt Blood Orange Crostata

adapted from Food and Wine

Short Crust Pastry	Filling
140 g Spelt pastry flour 20 g Superfine sugar 1/4 tsp Salt 110 g Unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 30 ml Ice water Flour for dusting	8 Blood oranges (about 5 ounces each) 40 g Light brown sugar 15 g Butter 1 Egg yolk 2 tbsp Water

To make the pastry, freeze the butter cubes on a baking sheet for 10 minutes. Place the spelt flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter cubes, and toss with your fingers to coat each cube with the flour. Pulse quickly on and off until the mixture is the size of small peas. Add the ice water and pulse several times until until moistened crumbs form. Turn the crumbs out onto a work surface and shape into a rough ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for 30 minutes or until firm.
Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface and transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 15 minutes until chilled.
Meanwhile, peel the blood oranges, removing all of the bitter white pith. Thinly slice 2 of the oranges crosswise. Remove the pits and place the orange slices to a plate. Working over a sieve set over a bowl, cut in between the membranes of the remaining oranges, releasing the sections into the sieve. Remove the pits and gently shake out as much juice as possible without mashing the sections. You will need 1 cup of sections. Reserve the orange juice for another use.
Arrange the orange sections on the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Sprinkle half of the light brown sugar over the oranges. Using a paring knife, thinly slice the butter over the oranges. Fold the dough border toward the center of the tart, , leaving most of the oranges uncovered.
Beat the egg yolk and water in a small bowl. Brush the pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle with half of the remaining brown sugar. Arrange the orange slices on top, leaving a 1-inch border of pastry all around. Sprinkle the rest of brown sugar on top. Freeze the tart until solid, at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F and position a rack in the center. Bake the tart directly from the freezer for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the pastry is deeply browned. Remove and cool the tart on a rack for 10 minutes and serve warm, with whipped cream or caramel sauce if desired.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Green Peas Spelt Cookies

These crunchy, melt-in-mouth green pea cookies, mainly prepared with spelt flour, ground green peas, peanut oil, and icing sugar, are commonly baked for the Spring Festival celebration, but they are an outright winner any time of year.

Green Peas Spelt Cookies

adapted from No-Frills Recipes

330 g Spelt pastry flour
3/4 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Baking powder
260 g Shelled green peas, finely ground
150 g Powdered sugar
200 ml Peanut or corn oil
1 Egg yolk
1/2 tsp Water
1 tbsp Sesame seeds

Sift the spelt pastry flour, salt, baking powder, finely ground shelled green peas, and powdered sugar into a large bowl. Set aside.
Slowly pour in oil and mix until the mixture forms a soft and pliable dough. Cover with a plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough into inch balls and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets.
Stir the egg yolk and water in a small bowl. Brush the top of each cookie with egg glaze and sprinkle some sesame seeds over. Bake for 15 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Vegan Lemon Curd Thumbprints

I have always had a soft spot for the bright, mildly sweet and lemony thumbprint cookies. This thumbprints recipe uses a vegan lemon curd to fill the cookies made with a mix of spelt, buckwheat, walnuts, walnut oil and maple syrup. Traditional lemon curd recipes call for the use of eggs and butter, but this recipe is a bit healthier, while still sweet, tart and satisfying. You can also fill them with your favorite jelly.

Vegan Lemon Curd Thumbprints

adapted from Dairy Free Cooking

Vegan Lemon Curd	Cookie
150 g Fresh lemon juice 150 g Sugar 1 tbsp Fresh lemon zest 1/4 tsp Salt 1 tbsp Coconut milk 2 tbsp Cornstarch 2 tbsp Cold water 2 tbsp Soya margarine ©angiesrecipes	130 g Spelt pastry flour 120 g Buckwheat, toasted and finely ground 100 g Walnuts, finely ground 1/4 tsp Salt 125 ml Walnut oil 200 g Maple syrup Cranberries and poppy seed (optional)

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the lemon juice, sugar, lemon zest and salt, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Combine together the coconut milk, cornstarch, and cold water in a small bowl, stirring well to combine.
Add the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture begins to thicken and the first few bubbles appear on the surface, about 8 minutes. Add soya margarine, and cook until the mixture resembles a thick pudding. Transfer the mixture to a heat proof dish, cover with plastic wrap and let cool completely before placing in the refrigerator to chill. Chill lemon curd for 2 hours before using.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together the spelt pastry flour, finely ground buckwheat, finely ground walnut and salt until well combined, making a well in the center.
Add in walnut oil and maple syrup to the center, and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until it forms a dry dough that just holds together.
Form the dough into 2-inch balls, and place them onto the prepared sheet, pressing a "thumbprint" into the center of each and slightly flattening. (The cookies will not spread, so make them the size that you want!) Add about 1 teaspoonful of lemon curd to each thumbprint and top with a cranberry or some poppy seeds if using. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cookies cool for several minutes on the sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Potato Bread Batons with Cheese and Pear

What could be better than homemade bread, especially when it's studded with the earthy flavours of cheese, walnuts, potatoes, fresh thyme and pears. I love it served with a steaming soup on ice cold days. It's also great for a school packed lunch.

Potato Bread Batons with Cheese and Pear

adapted from daheim und unterwegs

Bread	Cheese Spread
200 g Potatoes, diced and boiled 18 g Fresh yeast 550 g Water, lukewarm 100 g Sourdough 800 g Spelt flour 150 g Rye flour 18 g Salt 150 g Walnut, chopped 4 Pears, seeded and cut into wedges	150 g Gorgonzola 150 g Emmental 150 g Sour cream 170 g Quark Salt and pepper to taste 2 tbsp Fresh thyme, chopped 2-3 tbsp Bread crumb

Peel the potatoes and cut into small pieces. Fill a large pot with the potatoes. Add enough water to cover the potatoes. Once the water boils, reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Drain and cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, dissolve the yeast in water. Add in sourdough, flours, salt, walnuts and cooked potatoes. Mix on slow speed for 4 minutes, then increase the speed and mix a further 4 minutes.
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 6 even portions. Shape each into a ball and rest, covered, for 15 minutes. Knead the dough balls gently and briefly. Cover, and rest for a further 15 minutes. Shape each dough ball into a baton and allow them to rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
To prepare the cheese spread by combining all the ingredients in a bowl. Transfer the mixture into a pastry bag. With a sharp serrated knife, slash the top of the bread lengthwise, about 1/4-inch deep. Pipe the cheese mixture onto the cut and press 5-6 pear wedges on top. Allow them to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220C/430F and bake for about 35 minutes until nicely golden brown.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Multigrain Bread Ring with Fennel Seeds

This multigrain seed bread ring is made with rye, oats, millet, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and fennel seeds. It’s delicious, crispy, hearty, nutritious and easily adjustable to what you have on hand. If nutrition, to you, is not the top priority, then wholegrain rye and spelt flours can be replaced with wheat flour.

Multigrain Bread Ring with Fennel Seeds

adapted from daheim und unterwegs

Grains and Seeds Mixture	Bread Paste	Dough
100 g Rye groats 50 g Oats 50 g Millet 50 g Sunflower seeds 50 g Sesame seeds, roasted 300 ml Hot water	100 g Stale rye bread pieces, roasted 100 ml Hot water	250 ml Water, lukewarm 20 g Fresh yeast 100 g Ripe sourdough starter 250 g Wholegrain rye flour 300 g Spelt bread flour 20 g Salt 50 g Malt extract 30 g Fennel seeds A mix of seeds for the topping, optional

Place rye groats, oats, millet, sunflower seeds, and roasted sesame seeds in a mixing bowl. Pour in 300 ml of hot water. Mix well and leave it aside for 3 hours.
In another bowl, stir roasted rye bread pieces and 100 ml of hot water together. Leave it aside for 3 hours.
In the mixing bowl of your stand mixer, add in water, yeast, grain and seed mixture, bread paste, sourdough starter, wholegrain rye flour, spelt flour, salt, malt extract and fennel seeds. Stir all the ingredients on the low speed for 2 minutes. Increase the speed, and mix for 5 more minutes.
Place the dough on a floured work surface, cover with a towel, and let rest 20 minutes. Knead briefly. Cover and let rest for a further 20 minutes. Divide the dough into 3 portions. Shape them each into a ring or a round. Brush the tops with water and sprinkle with seed topping if used. Let rise for another 40 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 230C/450F. Cut the tops of bread rings with a sharp knife, 1-cm-deep, about 2-inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 210C/410F and bake for a further 30 minutes until crisp and golden brown.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Wholegrain Spelt Apple and Marzipan Cake

A classic German apple cake with marzipan. The marzipan paste, made of sugar and almond, is used in the cake batter to enrich the flavour and texture. If you are an almond lover, feel free to use more marzipan instead of sugar, and adjust accordingly flour quantity. The batter should look like a smooth and thick paste.

I do still use my favourite wholegrain spelt flour, but you can use wheat flour (wholegrain or not) instead if you want. Allergic reaction to eggs? No problem, use 1 cup of applesauce instead of 3 eggs.

After baking, a glaze could be created to brush the apples by warming 2 tablespoons of water and 3 tablespoons of apricot jam together. I chose to leave it. It’s rich and sweet enough for me.

2-3 Sour apples
1 tbsp Lemon juice
100 g Marzipan, grated
150 g Butter, softened
100 g Sugar
1/2 tsp Almond extract
Pinch of salt
3 Eggs
180 g Wholegrain spelt flour
1/2 tbsp Baking powder
1 tbsp Almond slices

Peel apples, cut into quarters lengthwise, and remove cores. Slice deep lines along the length of the apple quarters and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Line a 30x12x9-cm loaf pan with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F.
Roughly grate the marzipan. Place them in a mixing bowl together with butter, sugar, almond extract and salt. Beat until creamy. Add in eggs, one at time, beat until well combined.
Whisk together the wholegrain spelt flour and baking powder. Sift the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Stir until just incorporated. Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Arrange the apple quarters over the top, cut side up, pressing lightly into the batter. Bake for about 30 minutes. Cool the cake on a wire rack to room temperature. Dust the surface with powdered sugar if desired.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Potato and Whole Grain Spelt Pancakes

There’s nothing like good old fashioned potato pancakes as a side dish. It’s an awesome way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. You can serve these potato pancakes with meat patties, or simply enjoy them as breakfast.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and blessed Christmas and success and health for the New Year 2012!

So wünsche ich Euch von Herzen ein frohes und gesegnetes Weihnachtsfest und viel Erfolg und Gesundheit für das Neue Jahr 2012!

200 g Potatoes
75 g Whole grain spelt flour
1 tsp Baking powder
1 Egg
1 Egg yolk
100 ml Milk
Salt and white pepper
3-4 tbsp Butter

Thoroughly clean the potatoes and place them in a medium sized pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Add in about 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, uncovered, until potatoes are tender all the way through, about 20 minutes.
Drain potatoes and let cool slightly. Peel the potato and push potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl or mash with a large fork thoroughly. Add in spelt flour and baking powder, then add in whole egg and egg yolk. Gradually pour in milk, stirring well to make a smooth batter. Season the batter with salt and pepper.
Place 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter turns a light amber, drop about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the batter in the skillet. You should be able to cook 3 pancakes at a time, allowing enough space between them so they have a nice round shape.
Cook about 2 minutes on the first side, flip them over and cook about 1 minute longer. Remove from the pan, and keep warm. Continue adding butter to the pan and frying the rest of the batter. Serve the pancakes warm as a side with ground meat patties.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Cinnamon Spelt Ring aka Estonian Bread Kringel

This cinnamon bread, also knows as “Bread Kringel”, has been baked for hundreds of years in Estonia, for holidays, birthdays celebrations and special occasions. It originated in Germany and is basically a sweet enriched bread that’s twisted into the shape of a pretzel or a simple ring.

Recipe inspired by Chocolateoblivion

Dough	Filling
125 ml Milk, lukewarm 1 Egg yolk, small 30 g Walnut oil 1 tbsp Maple syrup 100 g Wholegrain spelt flour 200 g Spelt flour 7 g Instant dried yeast	50 g Butter, melted and cooled 3 tbsp Sugar 2 tsp Cinnamon powder 2 tbsp Slivered almond, optional Powdered sugar, optional

Place milk, egg yolk, walnut oil and maple syrup in the pan of your bread machine. Add in flours and the dried yeast. Select the “Dough” cycle, and press “Start”.
Mix together the cooled butter, sugar and cinnamon powder in a bowl. When the “Dough” cycle is finished, transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it briefly.
Divide the dough in half. Using a rolling pin, roll each out into a 1cm thick rectangle. Spread the 1/3 cinnamon butter mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1cm border. Roll dough up, starting lengthwise to form a Swiss roll. Seal edges well by pinching close and slice it in half lengthwise, leaving 5cm intact.
Turn each half cut-side up and carefully plait the halves together, keep the cut-side up to expose the filling. Join both ends to form a round wreath and transfer to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Brush the bread top with the remaining cinnamon mixture. Scatter the silvered almonds over if used. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.