Ah, it had seemed like forever since I baked a fresh loaf of bread. My husband had some toast cravings, so I eagerly walked to the store for the necessary supplies. That is when I spotted the spelt flour. I have always loved the taste of whole grains, but something about the light sweetness of spelt always wins me over. Combined with a touch of cinnamon, this Cinnamon Spelt Bread is a lovely loaf of subtly sweet bread.
Though we both loved my Hearty German-Style Spelt Bread, I was craving something a bit lighter in taste for this week’s breakfast bread. I opted to adapt the very simple recipe from Arrowhead Mills Spelt Flour, but since I had just purchased a 1 lb bag of good organic cinnnamon, I also decided to spike the loaf with a touch of spice.
The recipe came out nicely. I topped my husband’s toast with his favorite, nut butter and jelly, and mine with a homemade honey spread. It would also make incredible french toast for a weekend brunch!
Special Diet Notes: Cinnamon Spelt Bread
By ingredient, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.
- 2-1/4 teaspoons or 1¼-ounce package active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons honey, agave nectar, or sweetener of choice (I used honey)
- 2 tablespoons extra-light olive oil, grapeseed oil, melted coconut oil, or light-tasting oil of choice (I used olive)
- 3 to 3-1/2 cups whole grain spelt flour, divided
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Combine the yeast, warm water, sweetener and oil in a large mixing bowl, and let it sit and “proof” for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add 1.5 cups of the flour, plus all of the cinnamon and salt. Mix for a minute (I used a hand mixer) until it is well combined.
- Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let the loose dough sit for 30 minutes to an hour in a warm place to rise. It should double in size.
- Beat in the flour gradually, and begin kneading it with your hands as the dough gets stiff. The original recipe called for 3-1/2 cups of flour, but I only used 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons, and the dough was a good consistency – smooth, just a touch sticky, but not sticking to my hands and easy to knead (the full amount would have made it too tough). So I suggest adding 1-1/2 cups and then adding in the final ½ cup as needed.
- Shape the dough into a loaf shape that will fit nicely into a greased loaf pan (preferably 8×4-inch!). Cover it with that damp cloth and let it rise for about an hour in a warm place (I tend to make bread when I am in the kitchen cooking or doing prep anyway, so I place the loaf on top of the oven if it is on – this is a nice warm spot).
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and bake the loaf for 30 to 40 minutes. Once done, the crust will have a nice deep brown hue, but not burnt.
- Let it cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing it to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Add ingredients to machine according to manufacturer’s instructions [since I haven’t tested it, I would suggest using the full 3.5 cups of flour as recommended in the original recipe]. Bake on shortest cycle (NOT quick bread cycle). If loaf falls and craters during baking cylce, decrease water slightly next time.
