Are you looking for bread with spelt? A tasty and crusty spelt bread made with French sea salt herby rosemary that’s so delicious you will want to eat it every single day for breakfast. For a proper crust, use a Dutch oven or skillet when baking. And, the best part?
While spelt bread might seem like a specialty bread, there is literary evidence that once upon a time, it used to be a staple food in people’s diets.
Spelt offers great nutritional value and it is rich in dietary fiber, essential for healthy digestion. After making my first spelt bread, I started wondering: where does spelt even come from and what exactly is it?
Page Contents
The History of Spelt
You might wonder why I decided to share with you such details in an article about a recipe for spelt bread. For many years, the convenience of pre-cooked supermarket food took over our diets. I think it’s time we dig deeper into the items we eat and learn how to utilize nature’s finest whole foods.
We must first understand what it is that we eat and where these food items come from. For example, until now, I didn’t even know that spelt was even mentioned in Greek mythology, where spelt was a gift to the Greeks from the goddess Demeter. This makes me want to eat delicious spelt bread all the time.
Spelt is mainly used in artisanal bakes. However, having played with spelt flour and made several spelt bread loaves, we can say with certainty, that it’s an easy-to-work-with grain. As a whole grain, spelt is also a lot healthier than the usual white flour used in bread. You’re going to like it!
Bread With Spelt Ingredients
- 2 2/3 cups spelt flour
- 1 packet yeast (dried)
- 1 1/4 cup water (lukewarm)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp rosemary (fresh)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Method – Bread With Spelt
Mix the spelt flour, rosemary, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the oil, lukewarm water, and salt. Mix at the lowest speed until the ingredients come together. You should get a soft dough that is not sticky.
If the dough feels too dry, add in more lukewarm water 1 tablespoon at a time.
If the dough feels too sticky, add in more spelt flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
Knead on medium speed for about 5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and stretchy. It should be relatively firm to hold its shape.
If you prefer kneading it by hand, knead on a lightly floured surface for at least 10-15 minutes.
Place the ball of dough in a lightly floured bowl, cover it with a towel, and leave to rise for 1-3 hours until doubled in size. You can also leave it to rise in the fridge overnight.
Punch down the risen dough and knead it for 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a smooth, round shaped ball and place it on baking paper. You can dust it with a little flour if you wish. Leave it to prove for about an hour until doubled in size.
Heat the oven to 210°C / 450°F.
Place a baking tray in the center of the oven and a roasting tin at the bottom of the oven. If you don’t have a special baking sheet for bread, you can simply use a round skillet.
Score the dough with a knife. Wearing oven gloves, very carefully transfer the spelled dough (together with the baking paper) to the hot baking sheet (or the hot skillet) and return to the hot oven. Pour a glass of cold water into the roasting tin to produce steam. Quickly close the oven door.
Bake the loaf for 15 minutes, and reduce the temperature to 180°C fan/400°F. Bake for another 20 minutes. The bread should be golden brown and should sound hollow when you tap its base. Well, sound good, right?
Tips For Making Bread With Spelt
See what I mean? This is a straightforward recipe for making spelt bread but there are a couple of tips you could keep in mind so the bread turns out even better.
Make sure the consistency of the dough is good – Too much water and your dough will be too sticky. This won’t do it any good as the spelt bread won’t be able to hold the gases and so it won’t be nice and airy. Too much flour and your dough will feel dry and dense.
Use a skillet or dutch oven – If you want nice bread with a beautiful crust, you must use a dutch oven or a skillet. This is going to make your bread stand out.
Use a standing mix – You can also knead the dough but if you use a standing mixer it will be so much easier. Also, it takes a while for the spelt to become smooth. I have also written an article on The Best Spelt Berries Recipe For You.
Health Benefits
Bread With Spelt May Help Facilitate Digestion
The high content of fiber in spelt means that it may facilitate healthy digestion in a major way.
Dietary fiber helps bulk up the stool and move food through the digestive tract, speeding up the absorption of nutrients and also possibly helping reduce conditions like constipation, bloating, cramping, excess gas, diarrhea, and more serious gastrointestinal issues like ulcers.
Spelt has one of the highest dietary fiber contents of wheat varieties. You can get more from this video.
Bread With Spelt May Improve Blood Circulation
The high levels of iron in spelt combine to possibly boost blood circulation. Iron can be essential for the creation of red blood cells.
When RBC production is up, there is an increased blood flow throughout the body, which means additional oxygenation to organs and tissues, increased healing, boosted energy levels, and a more functional metabolism.
Increased circulation can even increase hair growth, while iron content may prevent anemia. You can also read more about The Superfood Best Spelt Grain For You- Discover Benefits.
Bread With Spelt May Regulate Hormones
Niacin is one of the essential vitamins that can be found in significant quantities in spelt. Niacin plays a key role in the adrenal glands in the body, particularly in the production of hormones.
The endocrine system is a sensitive and hugely important aspect of your health and general functioning, so maintaining healthy niacin levels by adding spelt to your diet is a wise choice. Another on Spelt Sourdough Bread: The Ultimate Guide to Health and Flavor.
May Boost Bone Health
Spelt has an impressive range of essential minerals that are necessary for bone health. These minerals may contribute to the development of bone tissue, and by boosting the levels of these minerals in your body, you can actively prevent osteoporosis and other age-related conditions that weaken or degrade the bones in the body.
Bread With Spelt May Boost Immunity
Thiamin is known to significantly boost your immune system and stimulate the defensive mechanisms of the body, while also easing psychological stress and anxiety. Spelt is one of the few kinds of cereal that can boast significant levels of thiamin.
May Help Manage Diabetes
Although simple sugars and carbohydrates are known to be unsafe for diabetics, the high fiber content in spelt can prevent those effects and possibly help regulate the release and breakdown of simple sugars into glucose.
By regulating the release of insulin and glucose in the body, it helps manage diabetes for those who already have it, or counter more people from developing it.
You Can Buy Best Selling Products Like
Conclusion
So, in this blog, I have explained to you all how to make delicious spelt bread with a crispy crust with our recipe. If you like my blog then let me know in the comment section. What is your opinion about this?
Spelt bread can be put away at room temperature for as long as 3 days. Make a point to keep it enclosed by a perfect towel so it doesn’t dry out. You can likewise freeze it.
Indeed, you can. It saves in the cooler for as long as 2 months. I suggest allowing it to cool totally and cutting it into cuts before freezing it. Just include a cooler pack and store it for some other time. You don’t have to defrost the spelt bread. Simply add it to a toaster oven and toast from frozen.
Even though it’s fairly like wheat, spelt is somewhat higher in zinc and protein. It likewise has a higher cell reinforcement limit. Spelt is high in manganese, having 92% of your day-to-day suggested consumption esteem.