How do I bake with spelt?

Spelt is easy to cook and bake with – after all, people in ancient civilizations had no problem figuring it out! It just takes a little getting used to, because its protein structure differs from wheat. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll be creating baked goods and pasta dishes that provide superior nutrition – and a superior taste!

The gluten in spelt is more fragile than the gluten in wheat or whole wheat, so you’ll have to make a few adjustments.

• You will have to pay careful attention to how much water you use when you bake with spelt. Too much water will make the dough sticky and weak. On the other hand, too little water will make it dry and dense. We recommend you reduce the amount of water by 25% compared with what you would use for wheat flour.
• Spelt also requires careful mixing. If you don’t mix the dough enough, it will become crumbly and then won’t expand properly. If you mix it too long, it will break down the protein strands that hold in the gases will break down. The first few minutes of mixing are critical. From the moment you add the water to the flour, you should take no more than 4 minutes to mix the dough completely.
• The best way to get the perfect rise is to make some spelt starter. The complex carbohydrates in spelt need to be reduced to simple sugars in order to feed the yeast. By creating the starter in advance, you can boost this process, and your bread should have better cell structure, greater loaf volume, and a lighter crust.
• To make spelt bread with a starter, use half of each ingredient to make a dough. Cover and let stand. Within 5 to 12 hours add the remainder of the ingredients to the bowl, mix and proceed as normal.
• Due to the delicate nature of the spelt gluten you MUST reduce the mixing time for VITA-SPELT® to about 1/2 of what the manufacturer recommends. We recommend no more than 4 to 4.5  minutes at a medium speed.

More tips on cooking with spelt….