Simple & Delicious Whole Grain Sourdough Spelt Bread
May 26, 2024 by Jennifer Truong
I have fallen in love with whole grain sourdough spelt bread over the past year. The decision to start making it was prompted by my mom’s cancer diagnosis in the fall of 2022. A nutritionist advised my mom to cut out wheat, mostly to alleviate inflammation from her arthritis. However, I also discovered that eliminating wheat is a good idea to slow cancer growth. How so? Read on!
The Problem with Modern Wheat
The wheat we eat today (AKA common wheat) has been hybridized again and again since the 1950s. As a result, it has gone from an innocuous food to one that is problematic for many people. The hybridization experiments produced wheat that yields high, is easy to thresh, and creates beautiful, high-rise baked goods due to its gluten structure. However, this gluten structure is stronger than that found in original wheat varieties, making it difficult to digest. This is why we’ve seen a significant increase in celiac disease and gluten sensitivity over the past few decades. Since our gut health is intricately linked with the functioning of almost every other part of our body, eating foods that cause distress to our digestive system can lead to, and further aggravate different diseases.
What is Spelt?
Spelt, on the other hand, is considered an ancient grain, and while a subspecies of wheat, it has remained essentially the same since the days of ancient Egypt. It is believed that spelt is a hybrid of emmet wheat and goat grass. Spelt has a harder outer husk than common wheat which protects it from many of the pests and diseases that wheat is subject to, but also makes it more difficult to thresh. This, along with spelt’s comparatively lower yields, is why it is not as popular to produce as common wheat.
Why Should I Eat Spelt?
Easier to Digest
There are a host of reasons why someone might want to include spelt in their diet. One of the more important ones is that it is easier to digest because of a weaker gluten structure. Spelt is also more water soluble than common wheat, contributing to its digestibility. If you decide to make sourdough spelt bread, even better! The long fermentation time required for sourdough spelt bread further breaks down the proteins and carbohydrates.
More Nutritious than Wheat
In terms of nutrition, spelt bread has about 50 % more protein than wheat bread and is rich in iron, magnesium, zinc, niacin, phosphorus and manganese. It also contains significant amounts of thiamine, which is rare among cereal grains. Thiamine, also known as B1, has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety and significantly boost the immune system.
Helps Prevent Disease
Compared to other grains, spelt has a low glycemic index (GI), which means it does not spike blood sugar levels. Therefore, eating wholegrain spelt may help prevent type II diabetes and control blood glucose.
Spelt is also high in lignans, which may help slow down the growth of tumours in hormone-type cancers, such as those of the breast and prostate. Lignans are compounds found in plants that have antioxidant properties and are anti-inflammatory. Adding wholegrain spelt to your diet may aid in cancer prevention.
Another great feature of spelt is that it is mildly alkaline. What does this mean? All foods are either acid-forming or alkaline-forming after they are consumed. Inflammation and diseases such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis flourish in an acidic environment. This is why alkaline water has been all the rage in recent years. Many grains, such as common wheat, are acid-forming, meaning that if they make up a significant part of your diet, your body may become more acidic, creating conditions for sickness. Being slightly alkaline-forming, spelt contributes to a more alkaline environment in the body, which is inhospitable to disease. While it is not necessary to eat all alkaline foods, to achieve optimal health and help ward off sickness, it is recommended to consume more alkaline than acid-forming foods.
How to Make Sourdough Spelt Bread
Feed Your Starter
The first thing you want to do is make sure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly, which means feeding it 4-6 hours beforehand (you may need to feed it 2 or 3 times before it is ready). This is key to ensuring you get a good rise.
Once the starter is ready to go (ie., it has doubled in size), mix the water, honey/molasses, and starter together. If your starter is ready, it should float when you add it to the water.
Mix Ingredients
In a large bowl, combine your spelt flour and salt and mix well.
Add the liquid mixture to the dry and mix with a fork until well combined. The dough should be wet and not capable of holding a shape at this stage.
Stretch and Folds
Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and leave it to rest for an hour.
After an hour, begin your stretch and folds. You want to do a minimum of 3 sets of stretch and folds or up to 6 sets. This helps develop the gluten structure. Wet your hands, and then grab one side of your dough, pulling it up until it stretches but does not break; then, fold it over to the other side of the dough. Turn your bowl 90 degrees and repeat the stretch and folds until you have completed a full rotation, and until the dough becomes resistant (does not stretch as easily).
First Shaping
After your last set of stretches and folds, it is time to shape your dough. Lightly flour a hard surface and gently scrape the dough onto it. Using the dough scraper, scrape your dough into a rough ball.
Bench-Rest
Let the dough rest for 15 – 20 minutes, allowing the gluten bonds to loosen up. This prepares the dough for the next shaping.
Final Shaping
Generously flour a linen-lined banneton basket (or bowl lined with a tea towel). I have found a gluten-free flour, such as rice or sorghum, works well as it is less likely to stick.
Returning to your dough, fold the four sides into the centre and flip your dough over. Using the dough scraper again, roughly shape your dough into a ball. Rotate your dough with your hands in a motion that gently tucks the edges underneath — this builds tension and shapes the dough.
Lastly, flip your dough smooth side down into your banneton and sprinkle the top with more flour. Place the banneton into a plastic bag, push the air out, and tie it shut to ensure the air does not get in.
Basket Proofing
Once wrapped in plastic, leave the sourdough to sit at room temperature for 1-3 hours. If your kitchen is warmer, an hour should suffice; if it is colder like my kitchen often is in the winter, 1.5 -3 hours is needed. Remember that whole grain flours tend to ferment faster than refined flours, so err on the side of caution and start with one hour. You want to avoid over-proofing and ending up with bread that flattens in the oven.
Cold-Proofing
It is now time to place the banneton in the fridge to cold-proof. This develops more complex flavours in your sourdough and slows down the fermentation process. Leave it in the fridge for 8-24 hours. I personally have found that longer than this results in the dough over-fermenting.
Baking
Once the sourdough has finished cold-proofing, preheat a Dutch oven at 525 F for 30-60 minutes. This is an important step as it will produce the “oven spring” that will cause the dough to rise.
When you are ready to bake, take a piece of parchment large enough to place your dough on and scrunch it into a ball (this will make it easier to work with). Take the dough from the fridge and flip it out onto the parchment. Lightly dust it with flour and score with a bread lame or very sharp paring knife. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and carefully place your dough into it by holding the corners of the parchment paper. Cover with the lid, place back in the oven, and lower the oven temperature to 475 F for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove the lid, reduce the temperature to 425 F, and bake for another 15 minutes. Your bread should be nicely browned and crispy on the outside when done. Remove the loaf from the Dutch oven using the corners of the parchment paper and place it on a cooling rack. It is important NOT to cut into the bread right away! This will cause it to dry out. Leave your freshly baked sourdough spelt bread to sit for a few hours or more before slicing into it.
Notes
- Remember to not add too much flour to your sourdough while working with it as this will result in a denser loaf
- Over-fermenting the dough will result in a loaf that flattens in the oven. If you’re unsure about how much time your sourdough needs to ferment, start with a shorter fermentation time
- If needed, your sourdough can be placed in the fridge as soon as you’ve transferred it to the banneton. It may need a little longer to ferment in the fridge, but the quality should remain the same
Sourdough Spelt Bread
Ingredients
- 500 grams whole grain spelt flour
- 10 grams Celtic salt
- 1.5 cups water room temperature
- ¼ cup sourdough starter fed and active
- 3 tbsps molasses or honey
Instructions
- Feed your starter. Wait 4-6 hours before using (you may need to feed it 2 or 3 times before it is ready). This is key to ensuring you get a good rise.
- Once your starter has doubled in size, mix together the water, honey/molasses, and starter. If your starter is ready, it should float when you initially add it to the water.
- In a large bowl, combine your spelt flour and salt and mix well.
- Add the liquid mixture to the dry and mix with a fork until well combined. The dough should be wet and not holding a shape.
- Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and leave it to rest for an hour.
- After an hour, begin your stretch and folds. Do a minimum of 3 sets of stretch-and-folds, and up to 6 sets, every 15 minutes. Wet your hands, grab one side of your dough, and pull it up until it stretches but does not break; then, fold it over to the other side of the dough. Repeat, turning your bowl 90 degrees, until you have completed a full rotation, and until the dough becomes resistant (does not stretch as easily).
- After your last set of stretch and folds, it is time to shape your dough. Generously flour a linen-lined banneton basket (or bowl lined with a tea towel). Gluten-free flours, such as rice or sorghum, works well as they are less likely to stick. For the first shaping, lightly flour a hard surface and gently scrape the dough onto it. Using a dough scraper, scrape your dough into a rough ball, tucking the dough under itself from different angles.
- Let the dough rest for 15 – 20 minutes to allow the gluten bonds to loosen up.
- For the final shaping, fold the 4 sides of the dough into the centre; then, flip your dough, and using your dough scraper again, roughly shape into a ball. Rotate your dough with your hands in a motion that gently tucks the edges underneath — this builds tension and shapes the dough. Lastly, flip your dough smooth side down into your banneton and sprinkle the top with more flour. Place banneton into a plastic bag, push the air out, and tie it shut to ensure air does not get in.
- Once shaped, leave your dough on the counter for 1-3 hours. Less time is needed in a warmer kitchen.
- After leaving your dough on the counter to ferment, place it in the fridge to cold-proof. This develops more complex flavours in your sourdough and slows down the fermentation process. Leave it in the fridge for 8 – 24 hours. Longer than this may result in the dough over-fermenting (whole grain flours tend to ferment faster than refined flours).
- Once finished cold-proofing, preheat the Dutch oven at 525 F for 30-60 minutes. This is an important step as it will create the "oven spring" which will cause your dough to rise.
- When you are ready to bake, remove the dough from the fridge and gently flip it out onto a piece of parchment paper. Lightly dust it with flour and score with a bread lame or very sharp paring knife. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and carefully place your dough into it. Cover with the lid, place it back in the oven, and lower the oven temperature to 475 F for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the lid, reduce the temperature to 425 F, and bake for another 15 minutes. Your bread should be nicely browned and crispy on the outside when done. Remove from Dutch oven and place on a cooling rack. Leave the bread to sit for a few hours before slicing into it.