LAWRENCE MURPHY: A wheat-free treat for the cheeseboard

Spelt flour is having a bit of a revival throughout the country at the moment, due to it being wheat-free, and you can now buy this milled grain in most supermarkets.

It has become popular due to its nutty and slightly sweet flavour and the fact that it’s fairly easy to work with. Spelt flour is good in breadmaking because the gluten breaks down quickly giving that great texture, helping to hold the bread’s form.

You can use spelt flour in pretty much any recipe that uses normal white flour, knowing that the end result will be better for you. You can buy white spelt flour or wholemeal, which I prefer and use at the restaurant in our bread.

This recipe shows you how easy this flour is to use, in a fennel seed biscuit that you can serve with cheese.

Ingredients

150g wholemeal spelt flour

1 dessertspoon fennel seeds

1 egg white

Good pinch of sea salt

1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda

60ml water

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until a dough is formed.

2. Kneed together for one minute.

3. Roll out as thinly as possible and cut into rounds.

4. Place on a baking tray and rest in a fridge for 10 minutes.

5. Bake in a preheated oven (150C, gas 3) for 20-25 minutes until golden.

6. Place on cooling racks and store in an airtight container.

Lawrence’s restaurant is Fat Olives, Emsworth. Visit fatolives.co.uk or call 01243 377 914.