Pomegranate Wholegrain Spelt Bread

You can't beat the aroma of freshly baked bread wafting through your home. This is a classic whole-grain yeasted spelt bread, refined with olive oil and pomegranate seeds. Start the recipe with an extra step and make a 20-minute-starter, and you are going to be rewarded later with an incredibly delicious pomegranate bread. You can taste and feel the difference to shop-bought bread straight away. Enjoy it lukewarm slathered with some salted butter.

7 g Active dried yeast
280 ml Lukewarm water
Pinch of raw sugar
500 g Wholegrain spelt flour
1 tsp Sea salt
2 tbsp Olive oil
180 g Pomegranate seeds

For the starter, mix the yeast with 80 ml lukewarm water and the sugar in the bowl of your mixer, then add enough flour to make a soft mixture. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes.
Add the remaining flour, lukewarm water, salt and the olive oil into the starter. Mix at slow speed until a dough has formed, then increase the speed and knead the dough until a smooth dough has formed. The dough will be slightly sticky. Cover and leave to rise for a further hour.
Turn out the dough on a clean work surface and knead the dough with floured hands. Now knead in pomegranate seeds. Shape the dough into an oval or round. Place it, seam side up, in a floured proofing basket. Dust with a little of flour and cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave to rise for a further 30 minutes. If you don't have a proofing basket, you can also leave the loaves to rest covered in a bowl.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Place an ovenproof dish filled with water at the bottom of the oven.
Turn the loaf out onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 55-60 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and place on a wire to cool. Enjoy it lukewarm with butter.