3/4 c Warm water; (110 to 115
-degrees)
1 ts Honey
2 ts Kosher salt
1 tb Dry active yeast
1/4 c Extra-virgin olive oil; plus
1 1/2 ts Extra-virgin olive oil
3 1/2 c Whole wheat flour
2 lb Fresh spinach – (weighed
-before cleaning);
-thoroughly cleaned,
-stemmed, and leaves thinly
-sliced
2 c Finely-chopped onions
1 ts Chopped garlic
1 ts Ground cumin
2 tb Lemon juice
1/2 c Crumbled Feta cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a bowl combine water, honey, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and sprinkle the
yeast over the top. Set aside to foam. Then whisk in 2 tablespoons of olive
oil, then sift 1 cup of flour and mix well. Set aside for 1 hour, or until
it has a sponge-like texture.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and saute
onions until tender, about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic, cumin, and
remaining salt to the onions. Stir in the spinach, in small batches, and
cook until the spinach is soft. Pour on the lemon juice. Drain spinach in a
colander and reserve the cooking liquid.
In a large bowl, place 2 cups of the remaining flour, making a well in the
center of the flour. Pour the spongy mixture into the well. Knead for 10
minutes, adding enough of the cooking liquid to make it pliable yet firm.
Transfer to a oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours.
Add the feta cheese to the dough and knead for 1 minute. Add the spinach
mixture, sprinkle with the remaining flour, and mix together quickly. The
dough is supposed to be moist and loose, don’t knead again. Form into an
oblong loaf and place the dough on a well-oiled baking sheet. Cover lightly
with plastic wrap and let proof for 1 hour.
Bake the bread for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and cook
for another 30 minutes.
This recipe yields 1 loaf.
Yields
1 Servings