Spelt Sourdough

Hi. I need to tell you about my friend's website. They buy spelt from us and have been making spelt sourdough. I haven't tried the recipe - I need to find a good sourdough starter... but I really wanted to share with you their recipe. I'm going to just share the link so they get the credit for the excellent bread recipe and the photos. I appreciate their little plug for our spelt, too... so go here to get the goods:  http://oakflatsourdough.isgreat.org/index.php/2011/Bread/100-spelt-sourdough.html

We have a unique product variety of spelt - in that it is specifically made for baking. It really breaks down easier in your body and is softer - you could snack on it! And doesn't act like hard red wheat like some other varieties of spelt.

For more information on our spelt - check out our website at www.HiStakes-Spelt.com

Now - go check out the sourdough recipe.

Bread Experiment #12

You might go looking for the other experiments, but you won't find them on this blog... I'm only publishing the ones that I LOVE and will continue to use. (Sorry, no photos - we ate the bread too fast!)


So, here it is, the meat and potatoes of the bread recipe: (If you don't have my basic bread recipe yet you can sign up to get it here. It is the one for the Bosch Universal mixer.)
First, I leave the basics alone - the water, oil, honey, salt, yeast and dough enhancer amounts have not changed.
What I have played with are the flour amounts and what I have been using for my flour. For example, I use roughly 16 cups of flour. I'm not sure how accurate that is anymore, because I always lose count and just add flour as needed until my bread is barely no longer sticky.
So, I put in the hot water, yeast, dough enhancer, oil and honey. Then I add a cup of mashed potato flakes (potato pearls do NOT work, unless you pulverize the pearls first). Next, I put in between one and two cups of ground flaxseed (I prefer this golden flaxseed), AND lately, I've been adding a 10-grain cereal mix. It is a course grind whole grain cereal and I just throw it in. I haven't been letting it sit and soak much, but I understand you can let it sit up to 5 or so minutes. I've also enjoyed adding 1/4 cup millet. It seems to be a lot of millet, so I may tone it down a little to 1/8 cup. (Still experimenting with that one.)
And finally, I prefer to use 3 different kinds of flour - usually spelt, hard white and hard red whole wheat flours. The flour mix makes a tastier loaf, I think. (Don't forget to add the salt.)

The result? Tasty, healthy, WHOLE GRAIN bread that is light enough that you don't feel like you are eating a brick and has enough substance to know you have eaten something! Bread doesn't last long at my house.

This last week, I've made 3 batches of bread (5-6 loaves per batch), mostly for Christmas presents for some friends and neighbors and have had rave reviews about my experiments. One neighbor was so excited she was going to hide it all for herself because my bread is SO YUMMY and so AMAZING! (Actually, I know of at least two people who hid it to eat the loaf by themselves.)   Makes me happy to think I am helping them have a little extra joy in their lives.

Here's to some more happy experimenting!

New Spelt Cookie Mixes!

I am SO excited about these. I have been developing the recipes and getting the perfect Idaho grown ingredients for these mixes for about 6 months and we now have them ready for you to purchase and bake in your own kitchen!

Quick thought: Need a good idea for a gift? These are perfect! And Christmas is just around the corner. (How is the shopping going?)

Both of these cookie mixes are made with Idaho-grown hard white wheat, spelt, sugar and flaxseed. Plus - we used whole flour and whole flaxseed! (Increase your fiber, Omega-3s, and protein intake for the day.) They are tasty and soft and chewy and you can add your own delightful indulgences (chocolate chips, raisins, toffee chips, or whatever you like). There are two different mixes you can now purchase on my website or at my house. Chocolate Cookie Mix or Oatmeal Cookie Mix. The cost is only $6.00/mix and will make at least three to four dozen cookies (depending on the size you scoop them to be). I consistently get at least three and a half dozen cookies.

Each cookie mix is easy to make - just add eggs and butter, (and chocolate chips or raisins or something), mix and bake. I've sampled these around the farmer's market, at different parties I've gone to, and several different events, and I've consistently gotten rave reviews. They are a delightful and almost addicting cookie! It isn't fun to eat just one.

I'd love to hear your review. Purchase a mix and let me know what you think. (Or catch up with me at one of the upcoming craft fairs where I will be featuring these new healthy cookie mixes as well as cookie samples.)

You can find the cookie mixes here:  J's Spelt Cookie Mix

Talk to you soon.

Can cookies be healthy?

I know, I know, it seems absurd to suggest that those little chewy sugar bombs could be, but, this week, it’s up to us to show you otherwise. Deep in the warm and cozy heart of our kitchen, we decided to bust the myth of unhealthy cookies and still make them taste scrumptious.

Now, what makes these cookies so incredible? Well, we took a basic wholesome oatmeal cookie recipe and then had some fun. Instead of the white flour, we used freshly ground whole wheat including hard white wheat, and spelt. Actually, let me tell you about spelt really quick and then I’ll get back to what’s in these amazing cookies.

Spelt is actually one of the first grains cultivated. (It’s mentioned in the Bible and was even found in the tombs of pharaohs.) It’s old, reliable, and free of tampering. Spelt is actually harder to grow than newer forms of wheat, but the specific health benefits of spelt make it marketable. It contains a more fragile form of gluten than other varieties of wheat. So, it’s easier to break down and digest; in fact, people who are allergic to gluten and can’t eat wheat can usually eat spelt. It also contains a lot of healthy proteins.

Whew. Okay back to the cookies. So, we used hard white wheat, spelt, Idaho-grown sugar (because that the way we like it), and flax. The flax is great too because it packs a healthy load of dietary fiber, and will give you all the Omega-3’s you need.

So, yeah, I’ll admit it. These cookies won’t lose weight for you. But, they also carry some great stuff like spelt and flax. We all need cookies. Yes, need. Living a healthy and happy life undoubtedly must contain cookies. Our bellies and souls need to be fed somehow, so let’s do it with some Omega-3!! (Because it’s better in a cookie than in an oily teaspoon, right?)

So, for the next few Friday’s, at the Farmer’s Market in Rexburg, come try one of our sample cookies! This week we will also be serving delicious, nutritious cinnamon rolls, Gossamer milk (which is surprisingly good), potatoes, rhubarb, and tomato and pepper plants. So come see us at the Ashland Produce stand and get a delicious and healthy cookie!!


In case you didn’t notice, this article wasn’t written by Jamie. My name is Patrick and I’ll be working for her this summer. Thanks!

Flour in Food Storage & Notes on Hard Red Wheat

Question of the day:  (I haven't done this in a while. I'm glad for the opportunity.)

I have just started my food storage in earnest and... in my eagerness to begin my storage, I went to Costco and bought 300 lbs. of flour. I have come to realize that is A LOT of flour, and I am skeptical that I will go through it before it spoils. I have decided storing flour is probably not the best option.

I have a ton of red wheat in storage, but I have been told that only having red wheat in bread is bad for digestion, and therefore having 1/2 red wheat and 1/2 flour is best. Because I do not wish to store flour as stated above, I am wondering if I can store white wheat to replace the flour and therefore avoid the digestion problems?

I bake all of my own bread, and that is primarily what the wheat in storage would be used for.

Do you have any other suggestions about storing wheat that would help me in my food storage voyage? Any information you can give me would be greatly appreciated!

My Answer: 

Great questions. Well, first of all, hard red wheat is not necessarily BAD for digestion. It depends on the person and their individual digestive system. Though, Hard red wheat is typically harder to digest than others.

I used to store a lot of flour in my food storage. I now only store about 150 lbs for my laziness (when I don't have time to grind flour or energy and just need a quick cup for some cookies or something) and then store several types of grains. As a matter of taste, I do not love to use only hard red wheat. It is too much "heavy" whole wheat flavor and texture for me. I do not enjoy hard red wheat by itself. I do enjoy using hard red wheat in portions, though. I store hard red wheat, hard white wheat, spelt and bread flour. I use the flour, like I said, when I'm being lazy or my kids want to bake something. (At least for now.) Otherwise, I'll grind my own flour from the red, white wheat and spelt - usually in equal portion and use that. The flavor is so much better when I mix my grains. Even if you use 1/2 red wheat and 1/2 flour (so you can use up some of that flour faster than you normally would if you ground all of your own flour for your bread), your bread would be much better than just using whole red wheat and you shouldn't experience such drastic digestive problems.

As a matter of interest, hard white wheat is great in breads and will give your bread a sweeter flavor. Spelt has a bit of a nutty taste to it. So, mixing all of these grains together and storing them for such use is my preferred method.

Does that help?

p.s. Plastic Buckets (5-6 gallons) or large rubbermaid or metal garbage cans are a great way to store your grains (I don't take mine out of the original packaging, though you could) and/or flour. It helps keep the rodents out, helps maintain dryness (supposing things flood sometimes) and basically keeps the air and sunlight off of your food storage.

Until later.

Top Secret!

Just to let you know, I've been working on a "top secret lab" experiment lately. (Sounds really cool,  huh?) Well, it is. I'm working on developing some products (dry baking mixes) that have to do with spelt, hard white wheat, flax. I am mostly planning to sell them at the farmer's market in Rexburg, but if there is enough interest, I'll probably sell them all over the US to my favorite blog readers.   =)

So far, the experiments have gone well - there is just so much to do - like packaging, designing a good label, figuring the exact weights of the ingredients. Did you know it took so much? (And that is just the start!) Well, I'm excited about it and hope this venture turns out well for us all.

So, the blog is lacking a little - but while I'm writing - are there any recipes/mixes you would like to see happen? What would you like to see in a package, easy to make, and ready for your enjoyment using more healthy, natural ingredients? Any suggestions?  (Feel free to email me directly at info at histakes-spelt dot com)

Spelt Banana Blueberry Bread Recipe

I usually send these recipes out through my email list... however, I decided to share this one through my blog to all my lucky readers. I will also send it to my email list, but I thought you might need this one here. My friend Cheryl shared this recipe with me and told me I could share with my readers and friends, so here it is...

(Blueberry) Banana Bread

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon butter
pinch salt

Add 1 - 1/2 cups spelt flour and mix.

Then add 2 ripe bananas (sometimes I add another half if not using blueberries)
1 level teaspoon baking soda
Beat lightly.
Optional: Add approximately 6 oz. slightly mashed blueberries. Stir in.

Pour into greased, floured loaf pan. Bake 1 hour in 325 oven.

(my variations: I used frozen blueberries, and didn't even try to mash them)
The end product - I tend to bake all my banana bread in glass cake pans. I just like it better that way. I actually LIKED this banana bread. I'm pretty picky with my banana breads, because my favorite recipe has buttermilk in it. But this recipe was actually good. I expected it to be heavier than it was because I used 100% whole spelt flour (no white spelt flour).

In the end - my blueberries sank to the bottom, but they added a nice touch and I'll make this recipe again. Let me know if you try it and what you think.



By the way, if you need spelt berries to grind into spelt flour, I used HiStakes-Spelt's Berries
Enjoy!

Type O Blood - is this you?

So, I had a person telling me about a book called Live Right for Your Type, meaning blood type. I was told that type O blood will be allergic to wheat/gluten and milk - it has to do with an antigen or an antibody reaction in their body. This person eats spelt because it is an "approved" grain to eat as listed in this book.

What do you think? Have you read this book? Have you heard of this type of diet?

Do any of you have type O blood and can verify that this is indeed you? Mostly, I'm just curious... what do you think?

Here is a picture of the book - or in case you need to purchase it... here is it for your convenience.

Basic Differences in Spelt, Triticale, Kamut

Have you ever wondered what the differences really are in different types of grains and how they compare to wheat? Do you know what some of your grain options are if you find out you have gluten allergies? You don't have to completely eliminate grains and bread from your diet - you just have to be a little more creative in your baking.

Oh - you don't have to have gluten allergies to enjoy these grains - they actually have a nice flavor to them.

Well, here is a quick summary of a few grains for your grain reference.

SPELT

• Spelt has a lower, more fragile gluten content. This means that SOMETIMES, people with gluten allergies can actually eat spelt (but it is a good idea to check with your doctor first)
  
• Spelt has higher fiber than wheat
• Spelt contains 15-21% protein (which is higher than regular wheat)
• Spelt is higher than wheat in complex carbohydrates, iron, potassium, and B vitamins
• It contains nutrients that aid in blood clotting and stimulates the immune system
• Spelt is similar to cooking with wheat flour, but you might find you need a little less water (start with 3/4 of what the recipe calls for), or a little more flour and because of the lower gluten content, don't let your dough rise as high as when using regular wheat flour
• Spelt has a bit of a "nutty" taste to it
  

TRITICALE

• Triticale has a lower gluten content than wheat
• Triticale has a higher protein per gram than wheat
• Triticale has more amino acids and lysine
• Triticale flour is more similar to wheat in taste and can be easily substituted for wheat flour. However, if using leavened breads, you must add at least 50% wheat flour because of the very low gluten content of triticale.
• Be careful when kneading triticale. Do not over-knead the dough as this can damage the delicate gluten.
• Triticale is a cross between durum wheat and rye.
  

KAMUT

• Kamut also has a lower gluten content like spelt, so many people turn to kamut when they have gluten allergies (still a good idea to consult with your doctor first before eating this when you have gluten allergies)
• Kamut contains 17-19% protein - higher than wheat.
• Kamut has less fiber than wheat
• Kamut is higher in vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, pantothentic acid, copper and complex carbohydrates.
• Kamut is considered a "high energy grain"
• Kamut is similar to cooking with durum wheat, so you will have a heavier loaf of bread if you only use kamut. You can add wheat gluten for a lighter loaf - providing your allergies allow it.
• Kamut works great in cakes and pastas.

This summary is based on research done by The Preparedness Store in Idaho Falls, Idaho

Spring into Summer Open House Party Announcement

Come one, come all - we are having a party! Well, an open house, really. On Tuesday. Tomorrow.

We will have vendors for jewelry, scentsy wickless candles, Dairy Maid Skin Creams, wheat, spelt & flaxseed, and possibly some fun baby accessories. And who knows what else will show up. It is like a mini craft fair... Plus, we will be featuring ME for a quick bread demonstration on rolls and bread type desserts! Who doesn't love bread and dessert in the same sentence?!?

We will also tell you all about the excellent deals on food and you can sign up to receive alerts for our fruit stand - when we get new fruit and excellent deals!

It is going to be fun and casual, so email me at info@HiStakes-Spelt.com if you want more details (like time and directions).

It will be fun... I am totally excited and getting ready for it today (and tomorrow).

New easy spelt recipes - spelt crackers and spelt bread

Today is a day for research. I am researching new recipes and new ingredients. My main search today deals with Xanthan Gum (as you may have noticed on my Twitter/Tweet - in case you follow me).

I have found a couple of interesting recipes I want to try. Haven't tried them yet, but they look so incredibly simple and like something my blog and website friends might enjoy that I am just going to share them with you here:

This one is whole spelt flour crackers - make your own crackers at home!
The article is from the New York Times by a Heidi Julavits. Check it out here:

Spelt-Flour Crackers from the New York Times Magazine
someone else's variation - same basic recipe

AND DON'T FORGET you can get spelt berries from us to make you own very nutritious spelt flour at HiStakes-Spelt.com/spelt

And this one is a new spelt bread recipe with no yeast, no gluten (other than fragile spelt gluten) and it is super simple to make. Check it out on

AllRecipes.com - Very Simple Spelt Bread

I am looking forward to trying these out. Let me know if you beat me to it and how it works. Enjoy!

WonderMill Wheat Grinder

Have you ever tried to shop for a flour mill so you could make your very own wholesome flour? It isn't always easy finding the information you need. I also think it is harder to know what I want when I cannot touch and feel the item I want to purchase.

My twitter friend told me about this article (hubpage) which is very informative about the WonderMill. If you are at all interested in flour mills, this is a must-read! (Especially since the author actually uses the WonderMill herself.)

Before I refer you to the article, let me just tell you that if you need more information on comparative grain mills or just want to know where to purchase a WonderMill - you can always find them on the HiStakes-Spelt.com website.

So? Happy reading...

(Link to the article about the WonderMill:) http://hubpages.com/hub/Wonder-Mill-Wheat-Grinder

Spelt Harvest

The long awaited time has arrived. We started slowly harvesting spelt. Our first load has been transported far away to be cleaned and packaged. If you are anxiously awaiting and have signed up on my list (www.histakes-spelt.com/spelt.php), you will be alerted when it is on its way back. The time is coming!

I've taken a few pictures to share with you the beauty of Idaho havest time...

This is one of our wheat fields that makes me sing "America The Beautiful" as it turns from green to amber! I love watching the grain ripen and change colors.
This is actually spelt. This part is about ready for harvest!
And here we are - havesting. The combine just went past, the guys are making sure it is thrashing right, and we are in business for harvesting. I love havest in Idaho.

And just to add to the mood, this was our sunset tonight

Happy harvesting!

p.s. If I'm not such a faithful blogger in the next little while, it is because I am out driving a combine. I will catch up as soon as my employer will let me have a break. ;)

Spelt Growth and Store Food Beautifully

Fellow Bloggers,

I have not abandoned you. I have been enjoying some family time. And now I am back...

We were gone a few days and it is always amazing how things grow when you go away and come back. Wheat and potatoes are bigger (yeah!) And of course, the spelt has grown. Here is the progress over the last little while.

We have heads, we call that "heading out" and they are looking good, so far.

More spelt is on its way to fulfill your storage needs. Get room prepared for when it is harvested.




This is what the spelt berries look like at this stage of growth:

While we were gone, we visited family. And took some pictures of one great way to store food.
Check this out... most of the time, this is how this nightstand looks: nice table, lace, tablecloth, glass cover, hat box and lamp.

If you decide to be nosy, you will find this:
This is a plastic garbage can full of wheat or rice, I forget which, but you would never know it just to look at it. I'm sure you don't have to have all the lace and frills, if that isn't your thing, I'm sure you could do something similar... have you any ideas or have you done this kind of thing?

Share a comment, give us your feedback.

Spelt Cinnamon Rolls

I posted a few days ago about making some AMAZING cinnamon rolls made with spelt bread dough. I wanted to finally post the picture that I took. They were soft and perfect and one of my best attempts, yet. Sometimes I wonder how they can get better. I love the challenge to make my treats better or at least as good as the last time.

Doesn't this make you drool?

You can find the recipe here: www.histakes-spelt.com/recipes.php
It is the first recipe - the 100% whole wheat bread dough recipe.
I made scones, 5 loaves of bread, and cinnamon rolls out of that batch of dough.

Spelt Growth

People ask me all the time if there really is a shortage of grain in the world. It is true. Hate to say it, but it is true - at least for now, until we see what this year's crop produces. So, what you hear on the news is true.

We, too, are experiencing a shortage with our spelt inventory. Our supply of spelt is almost gone. If you really are thinking of getting some, you might want to do it sooner than later. (The spelt berries are going quickly... and if you wanted 25 lb bags, they are already gone until harvest.) Go here to order: www.histakes-spelt.com/spelt.php

By the way, harvest is in August/September.

I also want to mention some good news on this front: this years crop is on schedule and looking good. Here is a picture we took a few days ago of the spelt field. (We get to watch it grow - the field is across the road from where I live. Cool, huh?)



There is hope, but we just might have to wait for a little while...