This is it! Yeast-free, dairy-free, wholemeal, high in protein spelt bread that only requires 3 main ingredients! It’s such a simple and foolproof recipe that you will not believe it! This dough recipe can be used for pizza as well if made thinner but I think it makes a very delicious wholegrain bread too.
The three main ingredients in this bread are wholegrain spelt flour, olive oil and fresh orange juice. Yep, orange juice! You also need a bit of salt and your favourite herb like thyme or oregano to make it a truly delicious flatbread. My mother gave me this recipe which she got from a friend but it is a very easy recipe that I haven’t seen anywhere online so I definitely wanted to share it. I try to eat very little bread normally as I want to avoid highly processed carbs but this bread is simple, nutritious and clean so there is nothing to be worried about!
Unlike many other wholemeal breads, the texture is not that dry and is quite moist because of the olive oil in the recipe, it also adds an amazing flavour! As you probably know the fat in olive oil is not something to be worried about as it is a great source of monounsaturated fatty acids and minerals. Check out the COOKING OILS GUIDE if you want to know more about the different healthy cooking oils.
The flour I use is organic wholegrain spelt flour. I love using it in breads and other baked goods as it is significantly higher in protein than wheat flour and it has many other beneficial nutrients. The whole flatbread has about 54 g of protein. Spelt flour is an ancient grain that contains less gluten than other flours and it’s easier to digest.
Now let’s get to the most intriguing ingredient of this spelt bread – the orange juice. There are several reasons why orange juice is used instead of just water:
- First, it acts as a natural acid. In many commercial breads you will see an ingredient called “Citric acid” which is essentially Vitamin C but it doesn’t come from citrus fruits, it comes from genetically modified black mould grown on GMO corn syrup!
- Second reason is that it is a sort of a natural preservative and it inhibits mould growth, which is another reason why they add the Citric acid to the store-bought breads.
- The third reason is that it makes the bread crumb tender and it adds flavour as well!
You barely need any preparation for this wholegrain protein spelt bread and it only requires 15 minutes to bake! I love having it with hummus as you can see but it makes a great sandwich too! Amazeballs!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cup (400 g) organic wholegrain spelt flour
- 1/2 cup (150 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup (150 ml) fresh orange juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp dried thyme (oregano or rosemary would be nice too)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 ºC/ 355ºF.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the flour with the salt and thyme.
- Add the olive oil and orange juice to the dry ingredients and stir until a dough is formed. With your hands, start kneading the dough for a couple of minutes.
- Spread the dough onto a greased round baking tin or just a flat square baking tray.You can sprinkle a bit of extra thyme on top before putting it in the oven.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
Notes
This bread doesn't rise as there is no yeast.