No-Knead Spelt and Pumpkin Bread

I really shouldn't be left at home alone with a fresh loaf of bread. I can do some serious damage with a solitary afternoon and a pat of butter. I baked this loaf off while the boys were at school and my husband was at work. I took it out of the oven in the early afternoon and had the rest of the day to slice and scoff. I only stopped when the kids got home and saw me standing at the kitchen counter, butter knife in hand, crumbs around my mouth and asked if I was okay. Okay? I was in heaven.



NOTE: Begin this recipe a day ahead.


No-Knead Spelt and Pumpkin Bread
slightly adapted from here

600g butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2cm dice
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil
10g dried yeast
750g spelt flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
250ml water
100g semolina

Preheat the oven to 180C.  Line a rimmed baking tray with baking paper.  Set aside.

Put the pumpkin pieces into a bowl, add the fennel seeds and oil and toss to coated the pumpkin.  Tip the contents of the bowl onto the prepared baking tray and spread the pumpkin evenly out.  Add 125ml of water to the tray, cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.  Remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 220C and roast for a further 15 minutes, until the pumpkin is starting to caramelise. Remove from the oven, mash with a fork and set aside to cool completely.

Put the cooled, mashed pumpkin into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook and add the yeast, flour, salt and water.  Mix on low until the mixture comes together to form a smooth dough, it should only take a few minutes.  Scrape the dough into a lightly oil bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Switch the oven on to 220C and pop large Dutch oven in to preheat it.

Sprinkle work surface with half the semolina and turn the dough out onto it.  Flatten the dough out slightly, then shape it into a ball.

Get a large piece of baking paper, put the ball of dough on top and carefully put it into the hot Dutch oven, using the sides of the paper to lower it into the pot.  Sprinkle the remaining semolina over the top of the dough, cut three deep slashes into it, place the lid on and bake for 1 hour.  Remove the lid, lower the temperature to 200C and bake for a further 15 minutes.  Cool for 15 minutes in the pan before removing it to a wire rack to cool completely.