The Perfect Vegan Spelt Olive Bread

The Perfect Vegan Spelt Olive Bread has a soft, thin crust and is made with white and wholegrain spelt flour, green olives and pumpkin seeds. This delicious soft-spelt olive bread is even better lightly toasted for an open sandwich or to eat with soup or your main meal.

Watch my video tutorial for my 8-spelt bread-making tips on how to get the perfect thin crust and soft moist texture.

Takes = 2 hours (prep. 10 minutes, resting 1 hour + 40 mins)
Bakes = 30 minutes
Makes = 10 to 12 slices

Ingredients

• Wholegrain Spelt Flour – 200g (1 cup+1/4 cup)
• White Spelt Flour –  300g (2 cups)
• Fast instant yeast – 7g (2 teaspoons)
• Warm water – 350g (1 cup +1/3 cup)
• Salt – 1 teaspoon
• Olive Oil – 3 tablespoons
• Pitted whole green, chopped – 75g (about 1 cup)
• Pumpkin seeds toasted – 25g (3 tablespoons)

Method

1. Mix flour, yeast and warm water, and knead for 1 minute until it forms a shaggy dough, add in salt, drizzle olive oil, seeds and chopped olives. Transfer to a medium-oiled glass bowl and rest in a warm spot covered for 60 minutes until the dough reaches the top of the bowl or doubles in size.
2. Prepare your baking tin. Grease a small loaf tin with a brush and place a cut sheet of baking paper and ensure it is long on the sides to make removing the bread easier.
3. Easier dough shaping. Remove the risen dough from your bowl and place it on a floured bench. I use rice flour. Gently press down to be a rectangle shape to release some of the air. Then fold each side over, then take the top piece and fold towards you then the side closest to you. Like an envelope, then gently make a loaf shape and place it in your baking tin. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 45 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 210˚C fan 15 minutes before you need to start baking.
5. Once risen again. Brush the top with water then gently cut the top. Place a small ramekin of water on the base of the oven, then bake the bread on the lower rack for 10 minutes. Then drop the temperature down to 200˚C and bake for an extra 20 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Remove the golden bread from the oven and rest for ten minutes. Then remove the bread from the tin and place it on a wire rack covered with a cloth. Slice once completely cool. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for about 3 days. Or in the fridge for 7 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. It is best to slice the bread before freezing it.