Foodie Friday: Wholemeal Spelt & Fennel Seed Flatbreads / Naans (Vegan / Dairy-Free recipe)

Everyone has gone baking crazy during this lockdown, but if you're not quite ready to make your own sourdough, why not try this simplistic Wholemeal Spelt & Fennel Seed Flatbread / Naan recipe instead?

I have a confession to make - despite my love of fresh, toasted sourdough, I'm not very good at making it myself from scratch. I'm sure one day I'll have the patience and inclination to produce a cracking sourdough loaf, but until then, I'm going to stick with a couple of 'easier' recipes to satisfy my carb cravings.

As I've been making a lot of homemade curries lately, I thought I'd share a really simple way to make Wholemeal Spelt & Fennel Seed Flatbreads which also double up as vegan-friendly Naans as there are no dairy ingredients involved. I prefer to use Wholemeal Spelt Flour as I love the distinctively nutty flavour that it has (plus it's packed full of goodness), however, you can use half wholemeal spelt flour and half plain white flour if you'd like for a softer and fluffier result.

You can make the flatbreads as big or as small as you want, and just double the recipe if you wish to make a big batch of them to freeze for later. 

Ingredients (makes around 4 standard size flatbreads)

• 80g Wholemeal Spelt Flour (or use 40g Wholemeal Spelt and 40g Plain White Flour)
• 90ml Water
• Handful of Fennel Seeds

Method

• In a large bowl, sift in the Flour, making a well in the centre. Add the Water and use your hands to mix into a dough. Knead the dough in the bowl for around 5 minutes until it's smooth - it should feel slightly sticky. If it feels too dry, add a tiny amount of extra water such as a teaspoon's worth and knead again.
• Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, place a damp tea towel over the top and leave in a warm place to rest for 30 minutes where it will double in size.
• Sprinkle some extra flour onto a clean work surface and remove the rested dough from the bowl. Divide into four balls and roll each one into a thin circle, roughly 15cm in diameter. 
• Place a non-stick frying pan or well-seasoned griddle pan over a high heat for 2 minutes before adding each flatbread - depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook them separately. Reduce to a medium heat and flip over after 20-30 seconds when you start to see bubbles on the surface. Repeat on the other side; these flatbreads cook fast so keep an eye on them to avoid burning.
• Transfer to a warm plate and serve immediately - enjoy!

What have you been making during lockdown?

Want to try another easy recipe? Make this Seeded Soda Bread!

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Foodie Friday: Bananacado Bread (Gluten-Free / Vegetarian / Supercharge Your Gut recipe)

What do you get when you mix overripe bananas with an avocado? Bananacado Bread! I've baked many different kinds of Banana Breads over the years, and this is one of the best recipes that I've come across for a perfectly moist and utterly delicious result every time.

If you follow me on social media, you'll no doubt have seen that I've been reading up on Gut Health quite a lot lately and have been taking steps to improve my digestion as part of my overall health and wellbeing journey. I have struggled with bouts of IBS for a few years now, but since I've started to eat a much healthier and varied diet, my symptoms have become a lot more manageable on a day-to-day basis. 

There are lots of nutritionists out there whose specialism is based on Gut Health and Lee Holmes is one such person whose books I've been enjoying reading. I checked out her latest book, Supercharge Your Gut, from my local library, which is where this particular recipe comes from. Free from dairy, wheat, refined sugar and gluten, her Bananacado Bread is a brilliant way to use up any overripe bananas and avocados that you may have lying around in your fruit bowl.

Ingredients (makes 1 loaf)

• 3 large overripe Bananas
• 1/2 a large or 3/4 a small ripe Avocado
• 3 organic & free-range Eggs
• 2 tbsp of Agave Syrup
• 200g Ground Almonds
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

Method: 

• Preheat the oven to 160C and line a standard loaf tin with baking/greaseproof paper.
• Peel and roughly chop up the Bananas and Avocado, and then place in a food processor. Whiz until smooth.
• Add the Eggs and Agave Syrup and whiz again to blend everything together.
• In a separate bowl, combine the Ground Almonds, Baking Powder and Bicarbonate of Soda and gently stir through the banana mixture until combined.
• Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean. Leave to cool before turning out of the tin.
• Cut into slices and enjoy on its own with a cup of tea or coffee, or add your favourite nut butter for an even more indulgent treat.

Storage tip: This Bananacado Bread will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or you can freeze it for up to 2 weeks.

Are you a fan of Banana Bread?

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Foodie Friday: Homemade Seeded Soda Bread (Elly Pear recipe / Vegetarian)

One of my New Year's resolutions is to have a go at making my own bread, but I haven't found the time yet to throw myself into it completely. Instead, I've opted for a much quicker and easier Seeded Soda Bread recipe to try out this week, which is perfect for anyone who is busy or new to baking.

Soda Bread is one of Ireland's national treasures. This age-old bread isn't something that you see often in the supermarkets here in England, but like so much packaged food, it's always better when you make your own from scratch anyway! Soda Bread is a wonderful 'quick bread' as it doesn't require any kneading or proving, feels more like you're baking a cake and it's ready in less than an hour.

There are many recipe variations, with the two main ingredients being wheat flour and buttermilk. I'm sure there are ways that you could make this gluten-free or vegan though, but I decided to follow the food writer Elly Pear's Seeded Soda Bread recipe to see how it would turn out, and I'm pleased to say that the results were delicious! I love adding seeds and nuts to bread, and this is a great way to include some in your daily diet. It's very filling (one thick slice is usually enough for me) and would be perfect to have at breakfast to set you up for the day. Try it with smashed avocado, poached eggs or slather on some nut butter!

Budget tip: If you don't want to buy lots of bags of different seeds to make this, simply grab a single serve mixed seed pot instead. Aldi and Lidl shoppers can find them near the tills for a mere 60p and they contain all of the seeds mentioned in the recipe, except sesame seeds.

N.B: I made one or two tweaks to Elly's original recipe as I swapped the Brown Sugar for Coconut Sugar, didn't use Poppy Seeds (couldn't find any!), and I used all the other Seeds inside the bread and added extra for the top. 

Ingredients:

(makes 1 loaf)

• 225g Plain Flour
• 225g Wholemeal Flour
• 1 heaped tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• 1 heaped tsp Cream of Tartar
• 2tbsp Coconut Sugar
• 1tbsp Sunflower Seeds
• 1tbsp Sesame Seeds
• 1 tbsp Pumpkin Seeds
• 20g Walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1stp Sea Salt Flakes
• 500ml Buttermilk
• 30g Butter, melted
• Extra seeds for topping (optional)

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 200C. In a large bowl, sift the Plain Flour and then sift in the Wholemeal Flour, making sure to tip in any bits from the wholemeal as you're simply aerating the flour and not removing anything.

• Add the Bicarbonate of Soda, Cream of Tartar, Sugar, all the Seeds, Walnuts and Salt and gently stir together. 

• Make a well in the centre and slowly pour in the Buttermilk, mixing gently, but thoroughly. You'll get a slightly loose and sticky cake type of batter as a result.

• Brush the inside of a loaf tin with some of the melted Butter, and then pour in the mixture, evening out the top with a knife. Brush the rest of the Butter on the top. Sprinkle over some extra seeds if desired.

• Bake for 30 mins, then turn it around and lower the heat to 150C, and bake for a further 25-30 minutes until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the bread is starting to brown too much on the top at this stage, cover it in foil before returning it to the oven.

• Turn the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool and enjoy!

Storage: Once cooled, this bread can be sliced and popped into freezer bags where you can keep it for up to 4 months (defrost at room temperature when you want to use it again), or store it in a bread bin for up to a week. 

What's your favourite bread to make at home?

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