Spelt Soy Milk Bread

A dairy-free, single-rise yeast loaf that gets you fresh bread out of the oven in under an hour. Spelt flour gives the bread a soft, slightly nutty character that white wheat cannot match, and warm soy milk replaces dairy without making the crumb dense or oddly flavored.

Quick-rising yeast is the engine that makes this work in 45 minutes. Standard active dry yeast wants two rises and at least two hours; the quick-rise variety needs just 30 minutes covered in a warm spot to puff up enough to bake. Brushing melted margarine over the dough before the oven is what gives the crust its golden glow without an egg wash.

Bake until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, slice once cool. Toast it, sandwich it, or tear off ends and eat warm with vegan butter.

Pro Tips

• Use very warm soy milk (around 110°F / 45°C); cold milk slows the yeast and stretches the rise time
• Knead the full 3 minutes; spelt has weaker gluten than wheat and benefits from extra structure-building
• Tap the bottom of the baked loaf, not the top, to test doneness; hollow means done, dull thud means more time
• Spelt is technically a wheat, so this is not gluten-free; for gluten-free use a GF flour blend with added xanthan gum
• Cool fully before slicing for clean cuts; warm bread squashes under the knife

Variations

• Stir a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup in place of the sugar for a sweeter, breakfast-leaning loaf
• Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with rolled oats or seeds before baking for a rustic finish
• Add a teaspoon of dried rosemary or thyme to the dough for a savory herb bread