Have you ever wondered why many people in different European countries eat so much bread and wheat but don't experience the same intolerances to gluten we do?
One of the main reasons comes down to the quality of wheat that all of their breads, pastries, pastas and pizzas are made of.
In today's blog post we are excited to share with you a Focaccia Bread Recipe made with 'Emmer Wheat', which is a traditional heirloom wheat grain that was used during earlier periods of history.
Gluten intolerances these days are not just about the amount of wheat being eaten, but largely about what has actually happened to the wheat during the manufacturing process.
This 'new wheat' that we are eating is actually a hybrid wheat modified by humans to yield more crop. While it has been great to line the bigger wheat companies' bank accounts, it hasn't been so great for the lining in our stomachs.
Thankfully we have sourced this high quality Emmer Wheat from the wonderful people at Changing Habits. Biodynamically grown in Australia for 5 generations, this wheat is not manipulated, hybridised or artificially treated in any way, which is not only better for our bellies but better for the earth. It's stoneground on demand so is much fresher too.
Some people have found they are able to tolerate Emmer Wheat over normal wheat.
When we heard this, we ran straight to the kitchen to make this delicious Focaccia! We were waiting for that post bread bloat, but it was nowhere to be seen.
Hopefully it does the trick for you too!
If you want to try Emmer Wheat you can put a bag of our Emmer Wheat Flour in your basket for this week's order. We'd love to hear how it goes for you.
Here is the recipe...
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Emmer Wheat flour
- 1 sachet (7g) dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup warm water (40 degrees Celcius)
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling.
- 1 tablespoon Kehoe's Kitchen Garlic Paste
- 1 tablespoon of dried herbs of your choice (oregano, thyme, rosemary)
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Method:
Step 1: Combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Combine water with half of oil. Stir into dry ingredients with a wooden spoon, until dough becomes too firm to stir. Using your hands, work dough into a ball, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
Step 2: Knead dough until smooth and elastic. Brush a large bowl with remaining oil. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease all over. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean tea towel. Leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until dough doubles in size.
Step 4: Press tips of your fingers all over surface of dough to form 'dimples'.
Step 5: Cut cherry tomatoes in half and place on the bread. Mix garlic paste & herbs together. Sprinkle on the top of the focaccia. You can also add chopped pitted olives if you like too for that extra olivey taste!
Step 6: Drizzle over a little extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt & pepper. Bake for 25 mins, or until crisp and golden.
Serve with your favourite dips, nourishing soups or broths, olive oil and balsamic, or lathered in organic cheese and butter... and challenge yourself to not eat the whole thing in one sitting because it's that yummy.
Enjoy!
