Barley Flour (with recipe)

           The best  barley flour is ground from whole hulled barley. When added to bread recipes, barley flour gives a moist, cakelike texture. The barley-orange bread below is useful for the allergy-prone, for it is wheat-and milk-free – and also tastes good.

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BARLEY-ORANGE BREAD

2 eggs, well beaten

½ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup honey

½ cup water

¼ cup orange zest (from organic undyed oranges)

2 cups barley flour

²/₃ cups sugar (preferably raw sugar)

½ teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

·        Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour a bread pan.

·   Mix together eggs, orange juice, oil, honey, water, and orange zest. Sift together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Stir wet mixture into dry, beating well.

·       Pour into well-oiled and floured bread pan. Bake for about 70 minutes or until a knife inserted into the centers comes out clean. This is a moist sweet bread, perfect for tea or dessert.