When dinkel's in your bread

Multigrain bread with dinkel

You know you're in Vienna when... dinkel's in your bread!

Dinkel is a tasty and nutritious grain, commonly called spelt.  It's slightly nutty and sweet, and quite popular in grocery stores and health food shops around Vienna.

Dinkel has an especially hard husk, which means it's naturally resistant to insects and pollutants.  It's higher in protein and fiber when compared to its wheat relatives.  And it's said to have healing qualities!

I especially like to bake with whole grain dinkel, as it adds a hearty flavor and slightly more dense crumb to breads.

Recently I baked a delicious multigrain dinkel loaf on the first snowy day in Vienna.  Dinkel bread goes great with soups and stews.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups water
1 tbsp pumpkin seed oil (or other seed oil)
2 tbsp honey
2 cups wholemeal dinkel flour
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 rolled oats
1/4 potato flakes (optional)
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp dry yeast

For crust:

1/2 cup nut and seed mix (I use whatever I have around: sesame, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds, rolled oats and cornmeal, etc.)

My seed mix is always handy.  I keep it in the door of the fridge.

Preparation:

Using your electric mixer with a paddle attachment or your bread machine, combine the ingredients – keeping in mind your machine’s instructions.

When kneading is done, let the dough rise for about 45 min. or until it has doubled in size.  (If you prefer hand kneading, see my note on hand kneading in my Best Ever Polenta Pumpkin Seed Bread Recipe.)

Once the dough has doubled, pour it out into a floured surface, give it a good kneading - a couple minutes - and then place it greased bowl, and cover lightly with plastic wrap.  Leave it to rise once more.

Waiting to rise

Now preheat your oven to 210 C (or approximately 410 F).  If you have a baking stone, place it in the oven.

Once the dough has doubled again, scatter the seed mix and then pour the dough out onto the seeds.  Gently roll it over the mixture.  The seeds stick to the dough and create a lovely pattern.

Roll gently over the seeds

Place your seed-covered dough directly onto a hot stone.  (If you don't have a stone, no worries.  Just place the loaf on a baking sheet.)

Bake at 210 C (or approximately 410 F) for 20-25 minutes.

When the bread has turned a lovely dark brown and the seeds look nice and toasted, you know it's ready!

Cooling in at the window.  See the snow outside?

This multigrain dinkel bread is excellent toasted and holds up well as a sandwich.

Top: the crumb; bottom: tomato and cheese on dinkel

I encourage you to try wholemeal dinkel in your next bread recipe!

References:

The Grain Mill Company
Lentz Spelt

Links to You Know You're in Vienna When:

Introducing You Know You're in Vienna When
When excellent wines are but an hour away
When sturm is on the menu
When you don't carry a watch
When Turkenschanz turns crimson and gold
When there's beauty in a regentag
When you've got the Gluhwein boost
When it's Silvester

Shared with: Petite Hermine