Just dandy

After reading this post over at Fog and Swell the other day, I figured we had to give dandilion bread a try.



Most of the dandilions in our yard were on their way to seed, so we took a walk to the neighborhood school gathering what blossoms we could along the way.  (If you go out picking, be mindful of yards that seem fertilized or otherwise chemically treated.  We knew the ones we picked from were clean.)

It won't take long.  You only need a cup of petals for a loaf of bread.  The picking will go even faster with little helpers.



This recipe was quick and simple.  I used spelt flour because that 's what we have on hand.  And, like Kristy I used coconut oil instead of canola.  The 30 minute cooking time surprised me.  Don't similar tea breads take closer to an hour in the oven?  Actually, we decided to meet Jeff for dinner just as the timer went off.  The bread was still pretty wet, so I just turned off the oven and left the loaf inside to continue baking for a bit with a gradual cool-down.  When we got home, the bread was warm and cooked perfectly through.  Might give that a try if you're willing to just let it go.  It sure beat monitoring the baking every 5 minutes!



Calder loves this dandilion bread.  I've gotta say, I can't knowingly taste the flowers, and the bread isn't a shocking yellow.  But, it is a pleasant nibble.  Perhaps the spelt overpowers the flowers.  It is dense and moist, and would take well to jam or honey.  Yum!

Mostly, I just like the idea of using those silly little weeds (what makes it a weed?) in the kitchen.  Maybe you will too?