Spelt loaf with olives perfumed with rosemary

Freshly baked bread! I almost forgot how good it tasted!

My grandmother used to make bread in 15 minutes flat. I used to watch her with amusement: she was so incredibly quick, her hands were “flying away” and her loaf was ready to bake in no time… a tough country lady she was.

Last weekend I run out of bread so I thought: why not making some? I always keep spelt flour in my pantry as I make pizza with it. Spelt is an ancient grain, an ancestor of modern wheat and it has a delicious nutty taste.

You can add anything you like to it: I have added olives and rosemary for a richer and more perfumed taste but if you like seeds, like sunflower or pumpkin seeds, they would go very well too.

I have only proved this bread once with goods results and without spending too much time. Just leave it in a warm place covered by a cloth and it will rise nicely. Combining work with family and blogging makes time even more precious but I find that I can come up with easy and quick recipes (because I need them!) for mid-week evening meals; I will be sharing them very soon. Everyone needs them, who has the time to spend hours in the kitchen?

I am enjoying my new working life so far, everything seems far more balanced now. I really needed to go back to the workplace and I am so pleased that I can still keep my blog going.

Enjoy your weekend!

• Prep Time : 25 minutes
• Cook Time : 30 minutes
• Yield : 4

Ingredients

• spelt flour – 500 g – 4 cups (+ extra if needed)
• instant active dry yeast – 2 tsp
• lukewarm water – 300 ml – 10 fl oz
• sugar – 1 tsp
• sea salt – 1 tsp
• olive oil – 2 tbsp + extra for brushing
• Black and green olives – handful + a few extra for decoration
• cherry tomatoes – 4
• rosemary – 2 sticks

Instructions

In a bowl mix the flour with the yeast, the sugar and the olive oil. Add a little bit of water at a time, add the salt and mix well with a spoon.

Sprinkle some flour on your worktop and using your hands (or simply use a processor if you prefer) work the dough energetically for about 10 minutes; if the dough feels sticky you might need to add extra flour.

Finely chop the rosemary needles; Roughly chop the olives and add them both to the dough. Combine them well with the dough and when it is nice and smooth roll it into a long sausage which you will roll inwards forming a round shape. Again you might need to add extra flour if it feels too sticky or a little more water if it feels dry.

Place the dough onto a greased baking tray and cover it with a cloth. Leave it to rest for a couple of hours in a warm place. It should double in size.

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