Learn How to Make Flavorful Spelt Bread from Scratch with Expert Tips and Tricks
Elevate your bread with this healthy delicious homemade spelt bread recipe. You too can master the art of making a more wholesome and easy to make bread at home. Importantly, made with 100% spelt flour, spelt bread boosts a healthy dose of nutrition when compared to white bread. Specifically, spelt provides, iron, magnesium and zinc, all essential nutrients. In addition, the broader spectrum of nutrition also includes protein, fiber and a low glycemic index. Therefore, that means the higher fiber content aids in digestion, which helps to reduce blood sugar spikes.
Furthermore, the nutritional profile of spelt rivals its wheat counterpart with slightly lower insoluble fiber and higher protein. Not to mention, spelt existed long before the modern whole wheat. Actually, it is an ancient cousin of the modern whole wheat. Further, spelt is gaining in popularity. Hence, it’s easily available in many grocery stores or online. Importantly, when choosing spelt flour for making this bread, the stone ground versions works perfectly. For example, Bob’s Red Mill Spelt, or this Farmer Ground Organic Spelt flours.
How to make this easy and healthy delicious homemade spelt bread
First, the Poolish! Step one in the recipe begins with the creation of a poolish, a type of preferment, made with spelt flour, water, and a pinch of instant yeast. The preferment takes about two minutes to create.. Importantly, the poolish mixture ferments for 14 to 16 hours. Moreover, this allows the flavors to develop and the gluten begins to break down. Hence, resulting in a more flavorful and easier to digest final product.
Next, making the final dough! Step two occurs on day two, the final dough is made by combining the poolish with additional spelt flour, water, yeast, and salt. After a brief resting period, known as autolyse, the dough is mixed until the ingredients are combined.
Autolyse is a technique where flour and water are mixed together and allowed to rest before adding the remaining ingredients. This helps to hydrate the flour and develop gluten, resulting in a better texture and flavor in the finished bread. Further, some bakers mix the ingredients at low speed just long enough to bring the dough together. However, this is not necessary.
Once mixed, the dough is kneaded in a Kitchen Aid Mixer with an attached dough hook until smooth and elastic. Moreover, a quick seven to eight minutes is all that’s needed. The dough will feel slightly sticky. Transferred to a lightly greased large bowl, the dough then begins the magical fermentation process.
The Fermentation and Folding Process
Importantly, the fermentation and folding process for this delicious homemade spelt bread occurs over several time intervals. Specifically, the series of folds results in optimal gluten development as well the perfect rise. Hence, this folding process helps to strengthen and improve the structure of the dough and ultimately the bread. Specifically, the dough is folded in three twenty-minutes intervals and a one-hour interval. After the final fold, the dough ferments for two hours. Finally. the dough is shaped into a round and placed in a floured baking dish to proof. Importantly, for the dish a covered round ceramic or stoneware baker works best because it traps the steam. Hence no steam oven necessary.
Before baking, score the bread with a sharp knife to allow for expansion during baking and to create an attractive design on the crust. Finally, bake in a preheated oven until golden brown and crusty.
How to store homemade spelt bread
To store the spelt bread, allow it to cool completely before wrapping it tightly paper bag or placing it in an airtight container. It can be stored at room temperature for up to three days or frozen for longer storage. To reheat, simply place the bread in a preheated oven for a few minutes until warmed through. Enjoy this delicious spelt bread with your favorite toppings, make sandwiches or as a side to your favorite meals.
Cravings for bread?
Similar to the easy to make delicious homemade spelt bread, the homemade baguette process works the same, minus the extra time for the preferment. Craft the perfect “straight” dough baguette French bread at home without the complexity of sourdough starter. Additionally, our enriched breads, like this milk loaf sandwich bread is a delight. Overall, the homemade spelt bread, straight dough French baguette or the enriched milk loaf sandwich bread will impress your guests. For more bread recipes, delicious and easy to make culinary delights, peruse JulietKitchen.com
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Nutritional information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe
Easy Homemade Spelt Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Poolish (14 to 16 Hours in advance)
- 174 grams spelt flour
- 174 grams water room temperature
- pinch of instant yeast (less than 1/8 teaspoon)
For the Final Dough (Usually day 2)
- 355 grams spelt flour
- 191 grams water 90F – 95F Degrees
- Poolish (full batch – 348 grams from day 1)
- 10 grams kosher salt
- 1 gram instant yeast
- neutral oil for greasing bowl
- spelt flour for dusting baking dish
Instructions
Make the Poolish (14 to 16 Hours in advance) – Day 1
- In the bowl of a kitchen aid mixer, combine the spelt flour, water and yeast. Mix thoroughly to combine. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and drape a clean kitchen towel over the bowl. Set aside in a draft free area for 14 to 16 hours.174 grams spelt flour, 174 grams water, pinch of instant yeast
Make the final dough (Day 2)
- 14 – 16 hours later, once the poolish has fermented and matured, add the remaining ingredients, except the salt, to the same kitchen aid bowl with the poolish. Let the ingredients rest for 15 minutes. (This is called autolyse.)Note: No need to mix at this stage. Although some bakers do mix the ingredients on low speed until the ingredients are combined.355 grams spelt flour, 191 grams water, Poolish, 1 gram instant yeast
- Add the salt to bowl. Place the bowl on the kitchen aid stand attached with a dough hook. Mix on low speed until the wet and dry ingredients are combined.Note: I use speed 2 on my mixer and mixed for about 2 minutes.10 grams kosher salt
- Increase the speed to medium and mix for 7 to 8 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth.Note: The dough will be soft and slightly sticky to the touch.
- Lightly grease a large mixing bowl. Transfer the dough to the greased mixing bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and drape a clean kitchen towel over the bowl.neutral oil for greasing bowl
Ferment and Fold the dough
- Let the dough ferment for 20 minutes. Remove the towel and plastic wrap. Fold the dough by simply lifting and stretching the four corners into the center of the dough. Cover again with the plastic wrap and kitchen towel.
- Repeat the fold 2-more times. Once every 20 minutes.
- After the final 20 minutes, cover the bowl again and ferment for 60 minutes. Then perform a final fold.
- After the last fold, cover the bowl with the plastic wrap and kitchen towel. Let this ferment for 2-hours.
Complete the final shape and Bake
Preheat the oven 450F/232C
- Sprinkle some spelt flour inside a covered round stoneware baker.spelt flour for dusting baking dish
- Transfer the dough onto a clean work surface. Shape into a round.
- Transfer the round dough, seam side down into the floured baker. Cover with the stoneware cover.Allow to final proof for 45 minutes.
- Open the cover. Use a bread cutting tool, like a lame to score the top of the bread in whatever design you like. Cover the baker. Transfer the covered baked to the preheated oven.
- Bake 40 minutes. Remove from the oven. Transfer the bread to a wire rack and cool completely. Enjoy.
Nutrition
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