Bread, The Staff of Life?

The two finished loaves.

           I love bread! Sadly bread does not love me, I won't go into details but I find it has an unpleasant effect on my lower gut.

          I have been fascinated with it since doing the Bible story of the Passover and the Israelites not having time to let the bread rise. Unleavened bread became my goal what did it taste like and how was it made? 
I found a sort of an answer in a remaindered copy of 'The Royal Cook Book" a collection of recipes from the Royal houses around the world. It was a recipe for Poori or Puri a deep fried Indian bread.
I got quite good at making these and was given a little book on breads by some visitors we had staying at the time. My attempts at making yeast breads from the little book were not so successful. It did give me a life long interest in bread and all things bread related.

The dough ready for it's ten minute kneading!

           Over the years I have experimented with different breads, both yeast and soda. Earlier this year I went on a course to learn how to make a Pizza oven and that re-sparked my bread interest. Even though I was eating less and less of the stuff.
          I have always liked the breads from Declan and Patsy Ryan's Arbutus Bread started in Cork in 1999. They also run a four part bread course and last Wednesday I did part  three and was given a portion of the sour dough starter they use.
          Declan explained to us on the first night how using sour dough makes the loaves more digestible that even some coeliacs can eat it. This got me thinking....
Spelt, I knew is an old form of wheat with lower levels of gliadin, a protein that effects the gut.
          Could I combine the sour dough starter and spelt to make a loaf I can eat?
The starter is based on wheat flour, but over time feeding it with spelt it will become almost all spelt.
It was worth a try.

The round loaf just before it went into the oven.

         
         So, yesterday I used some of it to make my first seeded spelt sour dough loaves! As I was a bit hazy on the quantities and method so I used Patrick Ryan's "Bread Revolution" recipe.
          I made two small loves the round about 180g of dough only got one very long prove the other had seeds added to it. It was about 400g of dough and it had two provings, the second in a loaf tin.
The double proving was more successful with a slightly deeper flavour and seemed a little lighter.
I do not expect to get super light and airy loves from spelt, but if I can get a more digestible loaf I will be very happy.  

The inside of the round loaf.

          The experiment has begun, I need to refine the recipe and keep feeding the starter. When it all comes together I'll let you know.

Thanks for reading and please do leave a comment.