Honey, Walnut and Date Bread with Kamut


This ancient wheat berry called khorasan is sold commercially under its trademarked name, kamut. Although the large, tan grain is still grown in Egypt and Turkey, it has become more widely available since first being cultivated on U.S. soil in the mid-20th century. The trendy, slow-cooking grain offers a sweet, nutty flavor and chewy texture.


Use it: Cook up a pot of kamut – 1 cup of dried grains cooks up to about 2½ cups – then add it to grain salads. Substitute kamut for rice and other grains in pilafs and soups. When baking, kamut flour performs best as a sub for whole-wheat flour or in combination with oat flour, but if you want the “What’s that?” reaction, soak whole kernels in water overnight, then add them to bread dough and muffin batter.


Buy it: Kamut flour and whole-grain kamut is available at Local Harvest Grocery, 3108 Morgan Ford Road, St. Louis, 314.865.5260, localharvestgrocery.com


Ingredients

¼ cup kamut, uncooked
2 cups whole-wheat flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
¹∕³ cup finely chopped dates
¹∕³ cup finely chopped walnuts
4 Tbsp. honey
½ cup plus 3 Tbsp. apple juice



Preparation

• Soak the kamut overnight in 2 cups of water. Drain, rinse and set it aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Stir in the dates, walnuts and kamut.
• In another bowl, combine the honey and apple juice. Stir into the the flour mixture.
• On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until firm, about 3 minutes.
• Shape the dough into a round, then flatten it to about 2 inches thick. Using a sharp knife, cut a cross in the dough, nearly through to the base.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Let cool.
• Serve with blue cheese and ripe pear slices.



Tags : Bread , Honey , Dates , Kamut , Walnuts