Before my family and I switched to a ‘clean’ diet, one of my favorite places to go for lunch was Panera Bread. I would get a bowl of soup with a side of crusty bread and a salad. Perfect lunch! While it’s been years since I’ve been to a Panera, I haven’t given up my perfect lunch. The past few weeks I’ve been enjoying a bowl of Creamy Potato Onion Soup and a Caesar Salad for lunch. A bowl of soup just isn’t complete without a slice of delicious, homemade bread. This turned out to be one of the best loaves of bread I’ve ever made. The recipe makes 2 large loaves yet we barely had any leftovers. The perfect ending to a perfect lunch. YUM!
Sarah
Ingredients:
- 2 cups lukewarm water, divided
- 1 tsp raw honey or coconut nectar
- 1 package dry yeast
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup mashed potatoes (any type of white potato will work)
- 2 1/2 cups spelt flour + a little extra for dusting your work surface
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 3 1/2 tbsp minced onion
- 1 tbsp Garlic Gold Oil or olive oil
Preparation:
- In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the water and the honey. Once the honey is completely dissolved sprinkle the yeast on top and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Add in the remaining water and the rest of the ingredients except the oil. Mix well until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface. Gently knead the dough for about 6-7 minutes. You shouldn’t need to add any additional flour – the dough will be slightly sticky but shouldn’t stick to the surface.
- Shape your dough into a ball and set aside.
- Add the oil to your large bowl and give it a swirl to gently coat the bowl.
- Place your dough ball into the bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Set the bowl some place warm and let the dough rise for 1 hour.
- Prepare a large baking sheet with nonstick foil or a nonstick baking sheet such as a silpat.
Carefully shape into 2 loaves
- Transfer the dough back to your prepared baking sheet (no flour needed) and carefully shape into 2 loaves as pictured.
- Cover again with your damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise for another 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove the kitchen towel and place the baking sheet in the oven for 22-25 minutes. If you have a spray bottle filled with water it’s helpful to spray a couple of squirts directly into the oven to help give the bread a crusty finish.
- Remove the finished bread from the oven and let cool on a baking rack before slicing.
Nutritional Info:
Makes 2 loaves about 6 inches wide by 16 inches long.
Serving size one 1 inch piece.
Nutrients per serving: Calories: 82, Cal. from Fat: 8, Total Fat: .5g, Sat. Fat: 0g, Carbs: 16g, Fiber: 2.5g, Sugars: 0g, Protein: 2.5g, Sodium: 1mg, Chol: 0mg
Notes:
Leftover bread can be stored for up to 24 hours at room temperature. After 24 hours place the remaining leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 6 months.
