Date Bread

Bring the dates and water to a boil. Let sit for about 15 minutes, and then mash. Remove any pit fragments that may exist. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl combine 2 cups water, yeast and 1/4 of the date mixture. Let this sit until the yeast foams and bubbles. Then add salt, oil, sunflower seeds, remaining date mixture, soy flour, spelt flour and whole wheat flour. Beat the above mixture vigorously for about 100 strokes (to help develop the gluten in the dough). Add more flour, approximately 1 cup at a time and keep beating into the dough after each addition, until it becomes too difficult to mix with a spoon. Then, dusting your hands with some of the flour, start to knead the flour, adding about 1/2 cup of flour each time, until dough is smooth and elastic. Turn the dough, seam-side down, in the bowl, and cover with a clean dishtowel and let rise in a warm, humid place until doubled in bulk. This takes roughly an hour or so. In the meantime, prepare 2 bread pans by brushing soy lecithin oil or margarine. Dust with just a small amount of cornmeal or quick oatmeal flakes. When the dough has risen, punch it down, and knead it a few times. Divide the dough exactly in half, and shape it into loaves. Place each loaf in a pan, and let it rise for 1/2 hour, covered with the dishtowel. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and then bake the loaves for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, and turn the loaves out of the pans. Let the loaves cool completely before bagging them or storing them. I usually cool them by placing them right side up, across the pans they were baked in. In about 1/2 hour the loaves will feel soft.