Think, Eat, Be Healthy

Ancient Grains Spice Loaf Recipe

Ancient grains spice loaf

Ancient grains spice loaf is fantastic with fresh assorted berries and a drizzle of honey.

About ancient grains spice loaf recipe

Ancient grains spice loaf makes a wonderful light dessert. This loaf is not about being sweet, it is about rich and warming exotic spice flavors accented with olive oil and honey. Equal amounts of whole grain spelt, barley and millet flours give the loaf a very low gluten content and a light, loose crumb.

This is a quick and easy to prepare snack/dessert recipe for any time of the year. It always releases easily from the loaf pan and the egg is just enough to keep it from being crumbly. The four spice mix gives this loaf a fantastic aroma and a full complement of powerful anti-inflammatory compounds. Add some fresh mixed berries for even more fiber and antioxidants.

Ingredients for ancient grains spice loaf

2/3 cups whole grain spelt flour                                                                2/3 cups whole grain barley flour

2/3 cups whole grain millet flour                                                              2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon sea salt                                                                                 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg                                                                   1/4 teaspoon ground clove

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger root

1 large egg                                                                                                    1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice                                                  3/4 cup yogurt

1 cup raw unfiltered local honey

batter for ancient grains spice loaf

The batter for ancient grains spice loaf is almost pourable. This pan is just a little too full and overflowed slightly onto the catch tray during baking.

Preparation

1. Place all of the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and sift together well with a whisk

2. Place all of the wet ingredients into a second bowl and whisk together well

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and beat until well mixed with a wood spoon

4. Lightly oil a standard bread loaf pan and add the batter. The pan should be about 3/4 full to allow for a little rise during baking.

5. Place the loaf pan on a slightly larger baking sheet(in case of overflow) and then into a preheated 350-degree oven

6. Bake at 350-degrees for 35-40 minutes, until well browned and a wood pick comes out clean from the center of the loaf

7. Cool the loaf in the pan for 10-15 minutes on a wire rack

8. Loosen all four sides of the loaf with a spatula and turn the loaf out of the pan

9. Allow the loaf to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing

fully baked loaf

The fully baked loaf should be nicely browned and a wood pick inserted into the center of the loaf should come out clean.

Notes on ancient grains spice loaf

Spelt is a much older variety of wheat than the modern commercial wheat used for pastry, all-purpose or bread flours. It contains much less gluten and the gluten it does contain has a different structure than more modern wheat varieties. Barley and millet contain very small amounts of gluten that also differ in form from the gluten in modern wheat. These older varieties of gluten often do not provoke the digestive and inflammatory symptoms caused by modern wheat gluten.

All of the flours used should be whole grain flours. Whole grain flours retain all of the natural nutrients and anti-inflammatory compounds that make whole grains good additions to healthy whole food diets. Whole grain nutrients are much more readily absorbed and utilized by the body than the man-made vitamins and minerals used to “fortify” highly processed flours.

Because of the very low gluten content, and the types of gluten in these grains, ancient grains spice loaf has a light texture similar to a good cake. The egg and dairy proteins provide just enough binding to prevent this loaf from being too crumbly. Using a serrated bread knife to slice the loaf will allow clean slices without breakage. This great dessert loaf can help you along the path to whole food health.

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